Actor Charles Reese Celebrates James Baldwin @ 95

Los Angeles, California Jul 7, 2019 (Issuewire.com)  - Shaping the world view of iconic African-American author and civil rights activist, James Baldwin has not only been Charles Reese’ passion but his destiny. A sought-after Baldwin specialist, storyteller, and cultural architect for public engagement, Reese returns for the second year as the summer artist in residence at the Kasteel Well Castle in The Netherlands, home to Emerson College's premier Education Abroad Program.

Invited by Dr. Anthony Pinder, Emerson Vice President of International Programs (Boston Campus) and Professor Jabari Asim for the James Baldwin Writers' Colony, Reese will present his signature program event, An Evening in History with James Baldwin.  Reese states, "I am one of many muses who help keep the fiery spirit of Baldwin burning via cultural programs in the USA and abroad.  I applaud the college's eclectic approach for this distinctive writing program by utilizing all forms of performance art and culture as a tool to enhance the overall creative process." Reese' interactive Harlem Renaissance inspired literary performance salon will include excerpts from the acclaimed Off-Broadway play, James Baldwin: A Soul on Fire by the late playwright, Howard Simon, along with traditional call and response songs from the Civil Rights Movement. This history telling experience pivots around a secret meeting between James Baldwin and Attorney General Robert Kennedy (the premise of the playbook edited by Reese), which took place on May 24, 1963.

An Evening in History with James Baldwin featuring Charles Reese will take place on Monday, July 22, 2019, at 7 pm, Kasteel Well. Kasteellaan 20, 5855 AE WELL. Book signing, meet and greet coupled with a wine reception immediately follows. The event is Free and Open to the Public. RSVP: dulcia_meijers@emerson.edu.

About Charles Reese

A thespian and performance artist for more than 25 years, Reese is an AUDELCO Awards nominee (aka the Viv Awards). Reese literally ran into James Baldwin while a co-ed at Morehouse. He recalls, “I met Mr. Baldwin when I was a freshman student. It was a brief encounter. I was coming across the campus at Morehouse, and I ran into him. He looked at me; I looked at him.” He said, “My, you have eyes like mine.” I said, “Thank you, Sir,” and I ran. Let me explain why I ran. I knew who Baldwin was, but I ran because at the time I was trying to make my curfew.” Reese is known in the theatrical circles for his critically-acclaimed Off-Broadway performance in Howard Simon's production of James Baldwin: A Soul on Fire. Critic David DeWitt of The New York Times called the play, "...funny, thrilling and wise, buoyed by the passionate performance of Charles Reese in the title role.” Additional Off-Broadway and regional theatre credits include: In Dahomey (New Federal Theatre); Freedom Fighters & Friends (Arena Stage); Julie Hebert's St. Joan and the Dancing Sickness (Open Fist Theatre); and Myla Churchill's Griot Trio (Aaron Davis Hall). Television credits include Co-starring as Jalil Baldwin on the sitcom Beauty and the Baller, (BET/Viacom). The show is based on the web series, Who... created by Emmy winning writer-producer, Michael Ajakwe Jr. He was also in Law & Order, Between the Lines, Grapevine, In the Heat of the Night(episodes); Film: 40, On the Low, and Road Lawyers and Other Briefs. As a writer, to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the death of James Baldwin Reese co-authored the book adaption of James Baldwin: A Soul On Fire, which includes the play version and commentary to pay homage to Baldwin’s legacy as an author and civil rights activist. He also contributed an essay titled James Baldwin: Artist as Activist and the Baldwin /Kennedy Secret Summit of 1963 to the volume, James Baldwin: Challenging Authors, edited by Paul L. Thomas & A. Scott Henderson. He was a guest speaker at the 2016 International James Baldwin Conference at the American University of Paris in France. For more information about booking Charles Reese, email: LBell@bhtalent.com.

About James Baldwin Writers' Colony at Kasteel Well

This 4-week immersive writing program invites students to write, workshop and revise works of creative fiction and nonfiction inspired by the literature of African Americans who lived and worked in Europe. Through workshops, seminar discussions and dedicated writing time, students will develop their craft while writing responsively to the African American literary tradition and their own experience in a European setting. Excursions to Amsterdam and Paris, France will enable students to walk in the footsteps of cultural giants such as James Baldwin, Hazel Scott, Richard Wright, and Chester Himes.

About Emerson College/Kasteel Well, The Netherlands

A restored 14th - century medieval castle is home to Emerson College's premier Education Abroad Program in Well, The Netherlands. Emerson College offers a unique program of academic learning exposure to  European cultures, civilizations, and languages. www.emerson.edu.

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