Tickets on sale now for The Williams Project and LANGSTON’s co-production of James Baldwin’s theatrical masterpiece THE AMEN CORNER

August 20, 2022— The Williams Project and LANGSTON join forces to present Seattle’s first ever professional production of James Baldwin’s The Amen Corner, directed by Reggie D.  White. The Amen Corner will run from October 29–November 20 at Langston Hughes  Performing Arts Institute. Opening night is November 3. 

Five years after wowing audiences and critics with its stripped-down version of Baldwin’s Blues  for Mister Charlie, The Williams Project returns with Baldwin’s best-known work.  

In a storefront church in Harlem, Sister Margaret’s fierce piety inspires both devotion and fear in  her congregation. But when a figure from her past returns, and her son starts looking for answers  outside the church door, Sister Margaret finds her standing in danger. As secrets emerge and  loyalties are tested, Sister Margaret must fight for her family, her flock, and ultimately, her faith.  Equal parts soaring gospel music, prophetic poetry, and gripping family drama, The Amen  Corner asks audiences to face the beautiful and frightening path that leads to liberation. And  gives space to, as Baldwin says, “let the church say Amen.” 

“Working on Blues for Mister Charlie, Reggie and I both experienced firsthand how powerfully  Baldwin’s brilliance translates to the stage,” says Williams Project artistic director Ryan Purcell.  “Amen Corner is truly special: Sister Margaret’s struggle with God is as classic and important an  

American struggle as Willy Loman’s struggle with success. We’ve been trying to produce the  play since the fall of 2020 and are so excited to finally bring it to life. It’s especially exciting to  partner with LANGSTON on a show bursting with such Black brilliance.”  

“We are honored and thrilled to be co-producing James Baldwin’s The Amen Corner with The  Williams Project” says LANGSTON artistic director Tim Lennon. “No artist more perfectly  embodies Black brilliance than James Baldwin, and this play is another testament to his timeless  genius. The cast and crew are inhabiting the work in a way that honors Baldwin’s legacy and  our lived experience. In that sense, it’s a double blessing to bear witness to!” 

Director Reggie D. White’s directing credits include is the recipient of the 2022 Colman  Domingo Award, for multi-hyphenate Black male artists. As an actor, he’s appeared on  Broadway in The Inheritance and is currently at Berkeley Rep in the new musical Goddess. 

White has a deep personal and artistic connection to James Baldwin. Not only did he perform in  The Williams Project’s 2017 production of Baldwin’s Blues for Mister Charlie, he co-conceived  Vineyard Theatre’s Lessons in Survival: 1971, in which he also played the role of Mr. Baldwin.  

“The Amen Corner is an exploration of what happens when you refuse yourself the benefit of  your own humanity, what happens when you bury yourself so far into the church, or any identity,  that you can't notice the ways it's killing you,” White says. “How a refusal to look within can 

make us go blind altogether. With The Williams Project’s mix of community-based storytelling  and exceptional ensemble acting, we will breathe new life into this classic drama.” 

In addition to White, the Amen Corner creative team includes musical director Aaron M.D.  Norman (The Williams Project’s Blues for Mister Charlie and The Bar Plays, co-composer of  And So That Happened… with the 5th Avenue); scenic and costume designer An-lin Dauber (The Williams Project’s Marisol and Blood Wedding, Alliance Theater, Alabama Shakespeare  Festival); and lighting designer Robert Aguilar (Seattle Rep, 5th Avenue Theatre, The Old  Globe, ACT, Village Theatre, and Portland Center Stage, among others). 

For tickets and more information, go to www.thewilliamsproject.org. 

About The Williams Project: 

The Williams Project is a national professional theatre ensemble, producing plays in Seattle,  WA. Our mission is to make theatrical excellence accessible to diverse and engaged  audiences, while paying artists a living wage. 

About Langston: 

Our mission is to strengthen and advance our community through Black arts and culture. Our  vision is to cultivate Black Brilliance. Our values include sharing culture, promoting artistic  expression, encouraging artistic excellence, facilitating cultural education and possibility,  cultivating leaders, practicing radical inclusivity, and thriving as a self-determined community. 

Praise for The Williams Project’s Production of Baldwin’s Blues for Mister Charlie: “…Profoundly Good Theater in the Simplest of Settings”— Christopher Frizzelle,  The Stranger 

“The audience felt more present, more invested, than any I’ve sat with in a long time  — and it gave the performances extra fire…For some it was theater; for some it was  church. But nobody seemed unmoved.” —Brendan Kiley, The Seattle Times 

“It was such a valuable experience that I almost feel I stole something.”  —Carla Bell, South Seattle Emerald