JAMES BALDWIN RETURNS HOME
20th Anniversary Commemoration of Baldwin at Schomburg Center

(AANEWSWIRE)(November 28, 2007) Staged Dreams is pleased to announce that in commemoration of the 20th anniversary celebration of the life and legacy of the esteemed novelist, essayist, playwright and human rights activist James Baldwin, Tony Award nominee Calvin Levels will perform his acclaimed solo play, James Baldwin--Down From the Mountaintop, at The Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, 515 Malcolm X Boulevard, (at 135th Street) Harlem, New York, on December 7th and 8th, 2007 at 8:00 PM. The final performance on December 9th, 2007 at 3:00 PM will be followed by a VIP reception and panel dialogue. Panelists will include Baldwin friends, colleagues and scholars, among them Amiri Baraka, Sol Stein, Cornel West, Michael Thelwell, and Amy Goodman of Democracy Now as the moderator. The Schomburg Center is the same, historical location where Baldwin educated himself as a youth growing up in Harlem. The performances will be filmed live before the Schomburg audience.

JAMES BALDWIN-DOWN FROM THE MOUNTAINTOP depicts the rich and impassioned life of the esteemed American writer recognized for his novels on sexual and personal identity, along with his works of nonfiction, plays and essays on human rights. Baldwin, intent on providing an insecure actor with the insight necessary to portray him convincingly, returns from the ethereal realm and embodies the actor. He recounts various topics about his life, which include his youth growing up in Harlem as a prodigious reader and child minister, his early intimate relationships, and his association with mentor and friend Beauford Delaney and Richard Wright. He reflects on leaving America and moving to Paris; publishing various works such as, Go Tell It On The Mountain and Giovanni's Room and on his friendships and rivalries with Marlon Brando, Lorraine Hansberry, Truman Capote, Norman Mailer, Langston Hughes; his sour relationship with the Actors Studio; his association with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Medgar Evers, Malcolm X and the civil rights movement; up through his death at his home in St. Paul de Vence, France.

Calvin Levels has performed JAMES BALDWIN-DOWN FROM THE MOUNTAINTOP at over fifty venues across America and has garnered rave reviews from general audiences and critics alike. Princeton University professor Cornel West cites, "Calvin Levels is marvelous in his role as James Baldwin in this powerful play. Please do not miss it!" And The Los Angeles Times wrote, "Levels...has a hypnotic power that creates a revival fervor...Levels insightfully brings to light his subject's rare and admirable qualities." Mr. Levels has appeared in numerous film, television and theatrical productions. He is the winner of a number of nominations including the Tony Award, New York Drama Desk Award and New York Outer Critics Circle Award for Best Actor in a Play. He also received The Theatre World Award for Outstanding New Talent. The National James Baldwin Literary Society recently honored Mr. Levels in recognition of his contribution to the legacy of James Baldwin.

Tickets for the event can be purchased by calling Telecharge at 212-239-6200 (inside the NY metro area) 800-432-7250 (outside the NY metro area) or Telecharge.com. For additional information, please visit JamesBaldwinPlay.com or call 323-828-4780

This announcement has been distributed by UnityFirst.com Direct. For more information, call (413) 734-6444 or send email to: jfondon@unityfirst.

To view interview of Tyler Perry Click the 'Shows' tab on the main index page.