Syracuse Stage's 24/25 Season to Begin With CITIZEN JAMES, OR THE YOUNG MAN WITHOUT A COUNTRY

Syracuse Stage, in partnership with 100 Black Men of Syracuse, announced today that the company's 24/25 season will officially begin with “Citizen James, or the Young Man Without a Country” – a powerful and illuminating live world premiere production from resident playwright Kyle Bass on Aug. 2 and 3 at 7:30 p.m. in the Archbold Theatre, 820 E. Genesee St., Syracuse.

Directed by Joann Maria Yarrow, the live world premiere of “Citizen James” will be presented as a two-night-only free celebration beginning on Aug. 2 to coincide with the 100th anniversary of Baldwin's birth—coincidentally, it is also the birthday of actor James Alton, who portrays Baldwin in the play.

Originally incubated as part of the Stage's Backstory program and presented as a streaming-only event in the 2020/2021 season, this one-man show about a young James Baldwin follows the Paris-bound aspiring author and activist as he is seeking refuge from the racist violence of America in the 1940s, on his way to becoming a towering literary figure and a still-relevant voice of the Civil Rights movement.

“In his novels, essays, stage plays, speeches and interviews, James Baldwin was and remains a singular observer and chronicler not only of the Black American experience but of the American experience–a nation in conflict with itself,” said Bass. “Long one of my literary heroes, in ‘Citizen James' I was interested in creating a portrait of Baldwin as a young, gifted, Black and unknown artist already possessed of the deep feeling, trenchant intellect, urgent concern and piercing insight that would become the hallmarks of his writing, his social activism and his international persona.” 

“100 Black Men of Syracuse is thrilled to grow its partnership with Syracuse Stage this summer in celebrating James Baldwin's Centennial,” added Claude Greene, president, 100 Black Men of Syracuse. “We are grateful to CNY Arts and to New York State for providing the funding that allows us to further our mission to rebuild a sense of community in our backyards, and it is a privilege work alongside Kyle Bass as he shares Baldwin's still-relevant genius with Syracuse.”

"Kyle Bass' text is a brilliant homage to the genius of James Baldwin, his conflicts and struggles as an artist, and how they reflect our own contemporary times,” said Yarrow, who also serves as the Syracuse Stage director of community engagement. “It is uncompromising, inspiring and a celebration of 100 years of creative activism and social change."

Syracuse Stage will also host a pre-show event on Aug. 2 beginning at 6 p.m. to celebrate Baldwin's indelible contribution to American culture. Featuring a showcase of books, fashion, records and art from community partners 100 Black Men of Syracuse, Black Citizens Brigade, Black Cub Productions, Community Folk Art Center and Syracuse University Libraries, the event will be catered by Our Vegan Corner and Hope Café with music by DJ Bella J from One the One DJ Center in Syracuse.

The Friday, Aug. 2 performance will conclude with a post-show panel discussion, featuring playwright Kyle Bass; Joan Bryant, Associate Professor of African American Studies at Syracuse University College of Arts and Sciences; and Cjala Surratt, owner of Black Citizens Brigade. The panel will be moderated by Community Folk Art Center executive director Tanisha Jackson. The Saturday, Aug. 3 performance will also feature a post-show talkback with Bass, Alton and Yarrow.

"Citizen James” is made possible through the CNY Arts Grants for Regional Arts and Cultural Engagement regrant program thanks to a New York State Senate Initiative supported by the NYS Legislature, the Office of the Governor and administered by the New York State Council on the Arts.

The Friday, Aug. 2 performance for “Citizen James” is sold-out. Tickets for the Saturday, Aug. 3 performance can be purchased by visiting SyracuseStage.org/CitizenJames and following the ticketing link.

Details:

“Citizen James, or the Young Man Without a Country”

By Kyle Bass

Directed by Joann Maria Yarrow

Performed by James Alton

A two-night-only free live world premiere produced in partnership with 100 Black Men of Syracuse

Aug. 2 and Aug. 3, 2024, at 7:30 p.m.

Young James is an unknown aspiring “Negro” writer whose first novel has yet to be published. He awaits his flight, having just left his family with the news of his decision to flee America for refuge in Paris. He speaks no French. He has a one-way ticket and $40 in his pocket. Witness James Baldwin as he decides he must do something to save himself from the violent reality of racist America in 1948, a decision that sets him on the path to becoming a brilliant, powerful and prophetic voice of the Civil Rights era and beyond. More than a one-man show, “Citizen James” is a bridge that connects the past to our now.

Kyle Bass is the author of “Toliver & Wakeman,” which premiered at Franklin Stage Company, “Tender Rain,” which premiered at Syracuse Stage, “Salt City Blues,” which received its first production at Syracuse Stage, and “Possessing Harriet,” published by Standing Stone Books, which premiered at Syracuse Stage, and has been produced at Franklin Stage Company, East Lynne Theater Company, and HartBeat Ensemble. “Citizen James, or The Young Man Without a Country,” about a young James Baldwin, streamed nationally and has been optioned for a feature-length film and was recently presented at Brown University. With National Medal of Honor recipient Ping Chong, Kyle is the co-author of “Cry for Peace: Voices from the Congo,” which premiered at Syracuse Stage and was produced at La MaMa Experimental Theatre in New York City. Kyle is the co-author of the original screenplay for the film “Day of Days” (Broad Green Pictures, 2017) and is a three-time recipient of the New York Foundation for the Arts Fellowship (for fiction in 1998, for playwriting in 2010, and for screenwriting in 2022), a finalist for the Princess Grace Playwriting Award, and a Pushcart Prize nominee. An Assistant Professor of Theater at Colgate University and Resident Playwright at Syracuse Stage, Kyle descends from people enslaved in colonial New England and the American South and resides and writes in upstate New York where his family has lived free and owned land for 225 years.

About 100 Black Men of Syracuse:

100 Black Men of Syracuse Inc. initially began as an idea conceived by Jerome Walker and Walter Eiland following their participation in 1995's Million Man March. In 2007, they convened and shared their common concerns about the state of the Syracuse community, recognizing the necessity for a stronger presence of African American males working to halt the deterioration of their neighborhoods and acting on a strong desire to rebuild a sense of community from within. The organization has a wide range of initiatives, activities and programs consistent with its mission of improving the quality of life within the community it serves and enhancing educational and economic opportunities.

To post a comment, you must register and login.