CITIZEN JAMES, OR THE YOUNG MAN WITHOUT A COUNTRY to be Presented at HartBeat Ensemble

HartBeat Ensemble has revealed the second production of their James Baldwin Centennial Celebration. Citizen James, or The Young Man Without a Country by playwright Kyle Bass will run February 6 through 16, 2025 at the Carriage House Theatre. This powerful and insightful solo show, starring James Alton and directed by Joann Maria Yarrow, finds Baldwin, a young author and activist, at the pivotal moment when he contemplates leaving behind the racism of the United States to find refuge in Paris.

Godfrey L. Simmons, Jr. states, "After the resounding success of our encore production of Jimmy and Lorraine: A Musing, HartBeat Ensemble is excited to continue our celebration of James Baldwin's Centennial. HartBeat presented Kyle''s play Possessing Harriet to sold-out houses and rave reviews in 2023. I am certain Greater Hartford audiences won't want to miss this exciting new theatrical journey into the heart and mind of one of America's preeminent chroniclers of the Black Experience."

About Citizen James, or The Young Man Without a Country

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. In celebration of Baldwin's 100th birthday, Citizen James is a bridge that connects the past to our now. The play premiered in August 2024 at Syracuse Stage where it was produced in partnership with 100 Black Men of Syracuse, Inc.

Tickets for Citizen James... are $30 with no one turned away for lack of funds. The production runs February 6 through 16 with performances on Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 7:30pm with matinees on Saturday and Sunday at 2pm. Tickets are on sale now at HartBeatEnsemble.org or at the door (subject to availability). 

 

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