Kansas City’s longest-standing African American theater, KC Melting Pot Theatre (KCMPT), is reviving the James Baldwin classic, The Amen Corner. Written in 1954, The Amen Corner was Baldwin’s first work for the stage and has since been produced and performed around the world. The show is directed by Melonnie Walker and set to open at KCMPT on November 30, running through December 9 at Just Off Broadway Theatre in Penn Valley Park.
The Amen Corner follows Margaret (played by Amber Redmond), a Black female pastor leading a storefront church in Harlem. While wrestling with social, cultural, and gender-based challenges, her life is upended by the return of her estranged husband Luke (Craig Lindsay), a jazz musician and the father of their son, David (Solomon Langley). Though it’s been almost 70 years since Baldwin penned The Amen Corner, the themes still ring relevant today, exploring unresolved past love, gender roles, family dynamics, faith, and racial identity.
KCMPT was founded in 2013 and continues to explore classic and contemporary theater that features African American life, producing thought-provoking work that fosters understanding and celebrates our shared humanity. Talkbacks will be featured after the matinee performance on December 3 and 7:30 p.m. show December 7.