Name: THE BALDWIN | GIOVANNI EXPERIENCE
Start: 2025-11-01T19:00:00-05:00
End: 2025-11-01T20:30:00-05:00
Location: 927 Noyes St, Evanston, IL, United States, Illinois 60201

In London, England, on November 4, 1971, writers, poets, and activists Nikki Giovanni and James Baldwin taped a conversation for the PBS television program SOUL! created by the groundbreaking television and theatrical producer, Ellis Haizlip, to provide a stage for a breathtaking array of black cultural and political luminaries, including many who had never before appeared on TV. Alice Hille, SOUL!’s first associate producer, and one of the first black women to hold such a position, became Haizlip’s close collaborator
SOUL! was unapologetic about aiming its diverse and self-critical weekly affirmation of Black culture and politics to African-American viewers, a group that had previously not had the pleasure of seeing itself widely, or truthfully, represented on television. Perhaps more than any other television show before–or since–SOUL! insisted on representing the heterogeneity of Black culture. The dialogue between Giovanni and Baldwin was also dynamically unapologetic.
The Baldwin | Giovanni Experience premiered at FJT for a limited two-performance run in 2023, an experiment. The experiment of taking on this iconic conversation between two literary giants, then flipping it, twisting it, and creating a unique take on this beautiful word dance between Giovanni and Baldwin, was an artistic challenge and was received with tremendous enthusiasm. But the experiment had only just begun. This delicious theatrical appetizer needed to be followed up with an equally powerful World Premiere main course. Hence, The Baldwin | Giovanni Experience Revisited, with additional challenging conversation points, new original music, more spoken word, and choreography.
*****
The November 8 performance has less than 10 seats available. Sunday, November 9 performance is sold out.
*****
Important Information For Premium Gold Members
Gold Members, reserve your seats for The Baldwin | Giovanni Experience today. Limited seating for Premium Gold Members are available for the sold-out performances on Saturday and Sunday, November 8 and 9. All other dates are available.
Simply email us your full name, Gold Card number, date you will attend, and the number of seats you are reserving. You will receive an email of confirmation.