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Director's Notes:

If you’re like me and have had thoughts about what moments and events in history could have happened, but did not happen, but if they did happen how that might have changed the world? Then you are talking about the very essence of this play. Most people know of the iconic picture of Martin Luther King Jr., and Malcolm X that was taken on March 26, 1964, where the two men are smiling and shaking hands; what most don’t know is that these two civil and human rights activist leaders, whose ultimate goals were to liberate Black Americans from the ever-present social, economic, educational, and political bondages, never had a formal, or for that matter an informal sit-down conversation. Were that to have happened, how differently American and World history would have looked. What would the American social and political landscape have looked like if these two men had joined forces and combined the better of their two movements to further the cause? We will never know. What we do know is that each of them was committed to bettering the quality of life for all Black Americans, albeit with different tactics and philosophies. This is where The Meeting picks up and takes you on a fantasied journey like no other, and the results are… Well, you’ll see for yourself. 

Artistic Director

Tim Rhoze

Creative Team

Meet the Company

Keith Illidge

Malcolm X

Keith Illidge is honored to be gracing Fleetwood-Jourdain's stage again with the wonderful direction of Tim Rhoze and his amazing ensemble, Jelani and Matthew. He performed in Fleetwood-Jourdain’s production of Topdog/Underdog as Lincoln where he received a BTAA (Black Theater Alliance Awards) nomination as well as performing in Remy Bumppo’s Frankenstein (Chicago Premiere). He performed in a one man show titled Untitled in Philadelphia with Inis Nua Theatre Company for which he received the Barrymore Nomination for Outstanding Leading Actor in a Performance. He has also performed with Arkansas Shakespeare Theatre Company’s Macbeth and The Comedy of Errors. You can catch him on a couple of independent films and a web series being released later this year. Keith is grateful for this opportunity. Love to my family, friends and God!  IG: @klou_theartist

Jelani Pitcher

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Jelani is thrilled to be returning to Fleetwood-Jourdain Theatre in his FIFTH production with this wonderful theatre company. Most recently he was seen as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in The Mountaintop, Booth in Topdog/Underdog (winner of the BTA Award for Best Actor in an Ensemble), George in Sweet, and Isaac/Adrian in A Home on the Lake. Other favorite credits include George in Our Town with Artistry Theatre, Edgar in King Lear with Theatre at Monmouth, and Izzy in Spoken Word with MPAACT- where he is currently a Company Member! The Meeting, in particular, is a special one because it will be the last play Jelani will perform in Chicago before moving to NYC this Fall! He is eternally grateful to the entire Fleetwood-Jourdain family for the theatre home they have provided him the past 5 years. Many thanks to his brilliant fiancée, Brianna, and his loving, supportive family and friends. Jelani is proudly represented by DDO Artists Agency. www.jelanipitcher.com

 

Matthew Lolar

Rashad

Matthew Lolar is excited to partner with Fleetwood-Jourdain theatre for the first time. Matthew has worked in theatres in Chicago as well as the Twin Cities. Most recent credits include: Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-time (Ensemble) at Yellowtree Theatre, Cardboard Piano (U/S)(Soldier/Paul) at Timeline Theatre and Next Fall (Adam) at DePaul. He holds a BFA from DePaul University and is excited to work with his fellow actor cohort on this production. Thanks to family and friends for their continuous support. IG: mlj_16

Tim Rhoze

Producing Artistic Director/Director/co-Set Designer/Costume Designer/Property Master

Tim Rhoze has been the Producing Artistic Director of Fleetwood-Jourdain Theatre since 2010. His directing credits include: Fires In The Mirror, Black Ballerina (co-writer),  Nutcracker(ish), Crowns, Having Our Say, From the Mississippi Delta, Home, For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow is Enuf, Woza Albert!, Going to St. Ives, Single Black Female, A Song For Coretta, Yellowman, Sweet, Lady Day At Emerson Bar & Grill, Bear Country, Nobody, Fences, Piano Lesson, Ain't Misbehavin, K2, The Glass Menagerie, et. al.  Tim is also the writer/director of Why Not Me? A Sammy Davis Jr. Story, and Maya’s Last Poem, both produced at FJT. He was co-writer and director of A Home On The Lake co-produced with the Piven Theatre Workshop.

Jeff Stetson

Playwright

Jeff Stetson is an internationally acclaimed award-winning playwright and screenwriter for film and television. His stage plays include: Keep the Faith: A musical on the life and times of Adam Clayton Powell, Jr.; Fathers and Other Strangers; Fraternity; And the Men Shall Also Gather; To Play a Black Man; Love You Better; The Apology; and The Meeting, which has been produced in all fifty-states and more than a dozen countries including South Africa, the Netherlands, Canada, the Virgin Islands, Nigeria, Scotland, United Kingdom, Brazil, Jordan and Austria. He adapted it for American Playhouse. He adapted his play, “Fraternity,” for HBO. He served as co-producer for the series “Containment” which was broadcast on the CW in 2016 and Netflix and is co-producer of the series “Shots Fired,” that will be broadcast on the FOX Network in the Spring of 2017. His episode, “The Fire This Time,” was directed by Oscar winner Jonathan Demme and starred Oscar winners Helen Hunt and Ricard Dreyfuss.

Claire B. Taylor

Production Stage Manager

Claire B Taylor is honored to return to Fleetwood-Jourdain Theatre for her third production. Previous credits include, Black Ballerina with FJT; Wake Up, Brother Bear! with Chicago Children’s Theatre; Hopelessly Devoted with Piven Theatre Workshop; Macbeth and Much Ado About Nothing for the WillPower educational tour with the Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival; and Julius Caesar and A Midsummer Night’s Dream for the Shakespeare LIVE! educational tour with the Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey. Claire is currently the Production Manager for Piven Theatre Workshop in Evanston, IL.

 

Evan Sposato

Technical Director/co-Set Designer

Evan has spent the last two decades in and around the theatre as an actor, director, stage manager, technical director, and production manager. He spent eight years at the Waterville Opera House in Waterville, Maine, working both onstage and behind the scenes. During the Opera House's centennial renovation, he was the technical advisor to the building team and wrote grants totaling more than $2 million. While in Maine, Evan also served as the longtime president of the board of directors of Aqua City Actor's Theatre and worked with Bossov Ballet Theatre and Everyman Repertory Theatre. Since moving to the Chicago area, Evan has worked as the Technical Director and Production Manager at Drury Lane and has built shows for Steep, Jackalope, Rivendell, Interrobang, City Lit, New Colony (company member), and others. This is his first production with Fleetwood-Jourdain.  When Evan isn't in a theater, he works with political campaigns on voter contact and digital outreach.

Reggie Thomas

Composer

Reginald Thomas can be seen fronting his own groups (Mardra/Reggie Thomas Ensemble; OGD) on both piano and Hammond organ and as a sideman with great artists including Hamiett Blueit, Ann Hampton Callaway, and the Carl Allen/Rodney Whitaker Ensemble.  He is often seen performing with the Legendary Count Basie Band as an accompanist for the Thelonious Monk International Jazz Competition at the Kennedy Center in Washington DC and Los Angeles.  He has performed internationally in Japan, Poland, Italy, West Africa, among others.  Some recordings include “Matters Of The Heart” (MRTJazz), “Fade to Blue”(MaxJazz), and “Standard Time” (Victoria).  He can be heard playing organ on the record “4” (Jazz Compass) and “Better Than Alright” with the  MSU’s Professors of Jazz.  Reggie Thomas is now leading the Northern Illinois University School of Music’s Jazz Studies Program.  He is also a consultant/clinician for Jazz at Lincoln Center.  Reggie has been awarded the Excellence in the Arts award from the Greater St. Louis Arts and Education Council and was named in the Riverfront Times 2005 “Best of St. Louis” issue as Best Jazz Artist.  http://mrtjazz.com/

Bria Walker

Associate Artistic Director/Dramaturg

Bria Walker is a multidisciplinary artist and educator based out of Pittsburgh, PA. She is currently Assistant Professor of Performance and Head of the MFA Performance Pedagogy program at the University of Pittsburgh (Pitt). Selected acting credits: The Royale (St. Louis Repertory Theatre & City Theatre); Fires in the Mirror & Romeo & Juliet (Pittsburgh Public Theatre Playtime Series); Pop!, Marcus or the Secret of Sweet (City Theatre); From the Mississippi Delta (Triad Stage); By the Way, Meet Vera Stark (The Rep at Point Park); Saints Tour (Bricolage Production Company). Selected directing credits: co-director of Crowns (Fleetwood-Jourdain Theatre); for colored girls...(SUNY New Paltz), Avenue Q (SUNY New Paltz & Pitt) Polaroid Stories (Southern Oregon University); staged reading Off With Her Maidenhead ("The Pitch" series for Merry-Go-Round Playhouse). Selected writing credits: Crossroad (City Theatre Spotlight Series); You think the arts don’t matter? What about quarantine? (Pgh-Post Gazette op-ed); Chant (The Monologue Project). Education: MFA - Denver Center for the Performing Arts/Nat'l Theatre Conservatory; BFA - Wright State University. www.briawalker.com

Photos

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