PlayMakers Rep's World Premiere of Tristan André's They Do
Not Know Harlem Is Exquisite Visual and Aural Entertainment

PlayMakers Rep will present the world premiere of They Do Not Know Harlem: In Communion with James Baldwin, written and performed
by Tristan André and directed by Kathryn Hunter-Williams, on March 3-19 in UNC-Chapel Hill's Paul Green Theatre (photo by HuthPhoto)

Let me begin by saying: "I highly recommend attending PlayMakers Repertory Company's world premiere of They Do Not Know Harlem: In Communion with James Baldwin, now playing in the Paul Green Theatre at UNC-Chapel Hill!" The piece is written and performed by Tristan André and directed by Kathryn Hunter-Williams.

Let me also recommend that you enhance your enjoyment/appreciation by arriving early enough to read two essential sections in the playbill -- or reading them in advance online (click here for a desktop version or mobile version of the playbill):

1. An Interview with the Playwright

2. About James Baldwin

Another vital piece of information: the program's Cast List is a list of one -- Tristan André himself as "Tristan/Jimmy" -- vital because there are key points in the show at which he "morphs into" African-American author and political activist James Arthur "Jimmy" Baldwin (1924-87).

PlayMakers Rep will present the world premiere of They Do Not Know Harlem: In Communion with James Baldwin, written and performed
by Tristan André and directed by Kathryn Hunter-Williams, on March 3-19 in UNC-Chapel Hill's Paul Green Theatre (photo by HuthPhoto)

They Do Not Know Harlem is a multimedia show, involving music, dance, storytelling, and projections, as well as acting. It begins with the ethereal effect of a soulful "gospel-ish" song, coupled with a light show that plays across the multiple screens that form the backdrop and also across the floor. André enters in slow motion and proceeds to center stage, where he almost seems to melt momentarily.

The music then transitions to a jazzier number, and André performs a highly imaginative dance, and the show has begun.

The backdrop screens then show projections of a series of images the suggest André's past, settling on a very important image -- a photograph of his childhood home -- and the storytelling begins.

André identifies the house as "709 E. Nashville," "a two-story yellow house with a white picket fence," "the first thing in my mom's name." We first learn about his family, his neighborhood, and his community and then key moments in his life. The story seems to be told in "chapters" which are punctuated by dance numbers.

PlayMakers Rep will present the world premiere of They Do Not Know Harlem: In Communion with James Baldwin, written and performed
by Tristan André and directed by Kathryn Hunter-Williams, on March 3-19 in UNC-Chapel Hill's Paul Green Theatre (photo by HuthPhoto)

At key points, significant-yet-subtle changes in the lighting, the music, and the projections accompany changes in Tristan André's posture and his voice as he "becomes" Baldwin and begins telling Baldwin's story. The similarities between the two men's stories points to a degree of universality and enables the audience to empathize and feel their victories and their losses; but most of all, the audience is able to feel the pain that results from those losses.

Watch for a poignant moment at which André steps back-and-forth from one pool of light into another and transitions back-and-forth between the two characters.

Side Note: The number "seven" (from 709) and the concept of "grace" both assume significance all the way to the end of the show.

Other memorable "bits" of his monologues include the phrase "more ebb than flow," the concept of "second mom," the phrase "my body remembers," and the maxim: "You don't know what's in your blood until you start investigating."

PlayMakers Rep will present the world premiere of They Do Not Know Harlem: In Communion with James Baldwin, written and performed
by Tristan André and directed by Kathryn Hunter-Williams, on March 3-19 in UNC-Chapel Hill's Paul Green Theatre (photo by HuthPhoto)

Musical accompaniment is supplied by a four-piece band led by composer and music director Alan Thompson, who deftly alternates between keyboards and saxophone. Bassist Christian Sharp and drummer Brandon L. Mitchell comprise a rhythm section that literally makes us feel as well as hear the music. It is significant that Dottie DL Zene is credited both as a Griot and vocalist, because a griot is a Western African storyteller who perpetuates the oral tradition and history of a village or family. Zene's rich vocals, along with the band's melodies, harmonies, and rhythms would make the evening well worth the price of admission.

And we must tip our hats to scenic and costume designer Jan Chambers, lighting designer Kathy A. Perkins, sound designer Derek A. Graham, and projection and video designer Joseph Amodei.

Final Word: They Do Not Know Harlem: In Communion with James Baldwin is every bit as much an educational experience as it is exquisite visual and aural entertainment.

PlayMakers Rep will present the world premiere of They Do Not Know Harlem: In Communion with James Baldwin, written and performed
by Tristan André and directed by Kathryn Hunter-Williams, on March 3-19 in UNC-Chapel Hill's Paul Green Theatre (photo by HuthPhoto)

THEY DO NOT KNOW HARLEM: IN COMMUNION WITH JAMES BALDWIN (In Person at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday, March 7-12, and Streaming March 16-19), a world premiere written and performed by Tristan André and directed by Kathryn Hunter-Williams (PlayMakers Repertory Company in the Paul Green Theatre in UNC-Chapel Hill's Joan H. Gillings Center for Dramatic Art). PLAYBILL: https://issuu.com/playmakersrep/docs/tdnkh_playbill_draft_ (desktop version) or https://playmakersrep.org/playbill-for-they-do-not-know-harlem/ (mobile version). TRAILER: https://youtu.be/wksjSGE_FVQ. THE PRESENTER: https://playmakersrep.org/, https://www.facebook.com/playmakersrep, https://www.instagram.com/playmakersrep/, https://twitter.com/playmakersrep, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PlayMakers_Repertory_Company, and https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCO7crv41zzCYf9HxRDUEVdw. 2022-23 SEASON: https://playmakersrep.org/season/2022-23/. PRC BLOG: https://playmakersrep.org/about-us/our-blog/. THE VENUE: https://playmakersrep.org/about-us/paul-green-theatre/ and https://museum.unc.edu/exhibits/show/names/paul-green-theatre. THEY DO NOT KNOW HARLEM: IN COMMUNION WITH JAMES BALDWIN: https://www.tristanandre.com/they-do-not-know-harlem. TRISTAN ANDRÉ (playwright and performer): https://www.tristanandre.com/, http://www.iobdb.com/CreditableEntity/54866, https://www.facebook.com/tristan.a.parks, http://instagram.com/fishgritsandcollardgreens, and http://twitter.com/greenafrodisiac. JAMES BALDWIN (African-American writer and activist, nee James Arthur Baldwin, 1924-87): https://www.biography.com/authors-writers/james-baldwin, https://www.collectifbaldwin.fr/, https://www.c-span.org/video/?170519-1/writings-james-baldwin, https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-cast-staff/james-baldwin-6582, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0049924/, https://www.britannica.com/biography/James-Baldwin, and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Baldwin. NOTE 1: Arts Access, Inc. of Raleigh will audio-describe and American-sign-language interpret the show's 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 7th, performance. NOTE 2: The 2 p.m. Sunday, March 12th, show will be an open-captioned performance, with a "universal-access" live-caption unit, communicating dialog, stage directions, and sound effects. TICKETS: $20 and up ($10 students and youth), plus taxes and fees. Click here to buy tickets for March 7-12 in-person performances and here to buy $25 tickets for March 16-19 video-on-demand performances, which will be available from 12:01 a.m. Thursday, March 16th, until 11:59 p.m. Sunday, March 19th. INFORMATION: 919-962-7529 or prcboxoffice@unc.edu. PLEASE DONATE TO: PlayMakers Repertory Company. Susie Potter's Triangle Arts Review Review.

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