The American Dream

Debate: Baldwin vs. Buckley

On February 18, 1965, at the Cambridge Union Society in Great Britain, a monumental event took place. An historic debate between James Baldwin, the rising author and leading literary voice of the American Civil Rights Movement, and American Conservative intellectual and staunch critic of said Movement, William F. Buckley. They argued a question that was on everyone’s minds. They debated, “Is the American Dream at the expense of the American Negro?”

This year happens to be the 60th anniversary of this historically important and relevant debate. It’s highly regarded as one of the most noteworthy intellectual debates on race relations in the United States and one whose words and message continues to reverberate today.

Depicting an important moment in American history, the famous debate was developed as a theatrical piece by american vicarious, under the Direction of Christopher McElroen. The purpose of this recreation is to jar the minds of those theatergoers who remember the original debate when it took place, as well as to present it to new, younger audiences who might not have heard of it before. Interestingly, the well-elucidated arguments presented by the renowned Mr. Baldwin and Mr. Buckley still ring true today. 

This production incorporates vintage video clips from the actual debate interspersed with live performances. The event was televised in 1965, both live in Great Britain and later rebroadcast in America. The debate raised many shocking ideas and several probing questions about the Black experience, racism and oppression. Often, as Baldwin points out, the American film industry and television programing furthered the negativity of Black stereotypes even more.

Never resorting to celebrity impersonations, the two principal participants in this great debate are remarkable. They do an excellent job of delivering the exact words spoken by these two great authors/speakers, while drawing today’s audiences into the message behind the debate. Teagle F. Bougere, a familiar face on television, film and on the Broadway stage, is powerful, eloquent and majestic as James Baldwin. Eric T. Miller, another extremely talented New York actor, has worked with such noteworthy venues as the Huntington Theatre, TerraNova, Rattlestick, and has been a part of other projects with american vicarious. They are joined by four talented DePaul Theatre students. Jack Baust and Quentin Craig alternate in the role of Mr. Jeremy Buford, and Alex Perez and Aspen Tyson, alternate in the role of Mr. David Heycock.

And one of the greatest choices for this presentation by TimeLine Theatre was to make the production site specific. Rather than being presented on a theatre stage, with the audience artificially separated from the action, the event is recreated at DePaul University’s Cortelyou Commons. The room’s dark wooden paneling, festooned with framed portraits of notable men hanging on the walls; the high ceilings, supported by enormous oak beams, and an array of many coat of arms everywhere, is in the English Gothic style. It reminds one of Hampton Court Palace or Hogwarts’ Great Hall. 

The audience sits on four sides of the playing area, so that the two debaters are never more than a few feet from any theatergoer. This works especially well when, following the scripted debate, the audience is encouraged to raise questions and discuss some of the points made earlier in the debate. The immersive locale almost becomes another character in this 90-minute production. And, by the way, the proposition debated about the American Dream won with 544 aye votes for Baldwin’s argument to 164 no votes for Buckley.     

Highly Recommended

Reviewed by Colin Douglas

Presented January 29-March 2 by TimeLine Theatre Company, in partnership with the Theatre School at DePaul University, in a site-specific Chicago Premiere located in Lincoln Park at the University’s Cortelyou Commons, 2324 N. Fremont St., Chicago.

Tickets are available at the door, by calling the TimeLine box office at 773-281-8463 x6, or by going to www.timelinetheatre.com.