The wife of the murderer (Jasmine Romero) lies at her husband's trial as residents of Blacktown (Baldwin's name for the Negro community) look on. Photo by Clarissa Marzán.

BLUES FOR MISTER CHARLIE

  • by James Baldwin
  • directed by Eugene Nesmith
was the debut production of
New Haarlem Arts Theatre
  • June 23 to July 17
  • Thursdays through Saturday at 7:00 PM
  • Saturdays and Sundays at 2:00 PM

Aaron Davis Hall, Theatre B
located at West 135th Street and Convent Avenue
Click here for directions to Aaron Davis Hall

with
Amanda Figueiredo, Billy Lake, Brian Reese, Chandler Wild, Dennis Jordan, Dorothy Davis, Earl Griffin, Edwin Polanco, Foloshade Idris, Franceli Chapman, Jasmine Romero, Johnny Maldonado, Johnnie Mae, Katherine Guenther, Kelvin Hale, Leroy Graham, Lucas Babits-Feinerman, Nathaniel Manning, Reginald L. Wilson, Stephan Macari, Tiffany Warren, and Trevania Campbell

  • Assistant Director: Naya Tabia Johnson
  • Set Design: Heather Wolensky
  • Costume Design: Mary Myers
  • Lighting Design: Brian Aldous
  • Production Manager: Javier Suarez
  • Production Stage Manager: Tara Nachtigall
  • Assistant Stage Manager: Dunstan Wallace


The murder victim (Reginald L. Wilson), a wounded soul, takes unwelcome advice from his grandmother (Johnnie Mae). Photo by Jonathan Slaff.


Praise for NHAT's "Blues for Mister Charlie," first production of New Haarlem Arts Theatre.

NY DAILY NEWS
"Baldwin's 'Blues' still glows....The seldom-revived play still burns....The fine production marks a promising launch for the theater...Don't Miss."

NY TIMES
"a new company’s admirable first production"

NY POST
"James Baldwin's "Blues for Mister Charlie" is an inspired choice to open the New Haarlem Arts Theatre, a new professional company based at CCNY....theatergoers should be grateful for the chance to see a work that's rarely been revived....its fiery passion rings true."

CURTAINUP!
"The New Haarlem Arts Theatre (NHAT), in its first ever production, has revived the play and done a terrific job with it...The acting in NHAT’s production is uniformly fine....NHAT turns in a very strong inaugural performance....Anyone interested in Baldwin or the history of the civil rights era should take the time to see this plucky performance."

NYTHEATRE.COM
"The impressive ensemble of twenty actors supports stand-out performances from Reginald L. Wilson (Richard), Juanita (Franceli Chapman), Stephen Macari (Lyle), Dennis Jordan (Parnell), Kelvin Hale (Papa D), and Earl Griffin (Richard's father)."

OFF OFF ONLINE
"Congratulations to New Haarlem Theatre and CCNY for not only taking on this play but also the task of building a new arts establishment in these perilous economic times."

BACKSTAGE
"Imperfect but fascinating, 'Blues' was also clearly ahead of its time in its unflinching depiction of American racial bigotry....Its power at the time to disturb is evident....Thanks to New Haarlem Arts Theatre, that disturbing power is on welcome display at Aaron Davis Hall."

Foreground: Stephen Macari, as the killer (Lyle Britten), is encouraged by neighbors before his trial as his wife (Jasmine Romero, L) and the town's newspaper publisher (far R, Dennis Jordan) look on. Photo by Jonathan Slaff.

 ABOUT THE PLAY

The drama is based on the historic case of the murder of Emmett Till, a young black man who was killed in Mississippi in 1955 for supposedly whistling at a white woman. "Mister Charlie" is a slang term for a white man.

The play's murder victim is a pastor's son who has returned from New York to the segregated Southern town of his birth, aiming to start over and recover from drug addiction. The bigoted shop owner who shoots him and throws his body in the weeds is acquitted by an all-white jury.

Baldwin's masterpiece forthrightly exposes the wounds of racism and its toll on both black and white members of the polarized community who attempt to intervene, notably the publisher of the town's newspaper.

NHAT's production re-imagined Baldwin's notions of race, class and gender relations, casting actors beyond racial lines to present a modern complex picture of American culture today


Residents of Whitetown, Baldwin's name for the white community, gather to show support for the accused murderer. L-R: Jonny Maldonado, Chandler Wild, Katherine Guenther, Jasmine Romero (as the killer's wife), Amanda Figueiredo, Billy Lake. Photo by Photo by Clarissa Marzán.

 

The town's newspaper publisher (L, Dennis Jordan) and its leading Black minister--father of the murder victim (R, Earl Griffin)--try to reason through the polarization of the town. Photo by Jonathan Slaff.