The Public Theater and Elevator Repair Service's already-extended Off-Broadway run of Baldwin and Buckley at Cambridge officially opened October 2, and the reviews are in.
The production began September 24 at the Public's Anspacher Theater. Conceived by Greig Sargeant with Elevator Repair Service and directed by John Collins, the production will continue through October 23.
Sargeant stars as James Baldwin, opposite Daphne Gaines as Lorraine Hansberry, Gavin Price as Mr. Heycock, Christopher-Rashee Stevenson as Mr. Burford, and Ben Jalosa Williams as William F. Buckley, Jr. (Stephanie Weeks will succeed Gaines as Lorraine Hansberry from October 18, and Matthew Russell will play Mr. Heycock for select performances.)
The work recreates an infamous 1965 debate between Black writer James Baldwin and staunch conservative William F. Buckley, Jr., ending with an imagined scene between Baldwin and A Raisin in the Sun (currently being revived at the Public) playwright Lorraine Hansberry, researched and written by April Matthis and Sargeant.
Read the reviews below.
New York Theatre Guide (Diep Tran)
The New York Times (Alexis Soloski)*
*This review requires creating a free account or a paid subscription.
Playbill will continue to update this list as reviews come in.
The production features scenic consulting by dots, costume design by Jessica Jahn, lighting design by Alan C. Edwards, sound design by Ben Jalosa Williams, and wig design by Earon Chew Nealey. Maurina Lioce is production stage manager, and Jack Ford is stage manager.
The production is the latest collaboration between The Public and ERS, with past productions including Gatz, Arguendo, and The Sound and the Fury.
Gavin Price in Elevator Repair Service’s Baldwin and Buckley at Cambridge
Christopher-Rashee Stevenson in Elevator Repair Service’s Baldwin and Buckley at Cambridge
Greig Sargeant in Elevator Repair Service’s Baldwin and Buckley at Cambridge
Ben Jalosa Williams in Elevator Repair Service’s Baldwin and Buckley at Cambridge
Greig Sargeant and Ben Jalosa Williams in Elevator Repair Service’s Baldwin and Buckley at Cambridge
Greig Sargeant in Elevator Repair Service’s Baldwin and Buckley at Cambridge
Ben Jalosa Williams in Elevator Repair Service’s Baldwin and Buckley at Cambridge
Greig Sargeant in Elevator Repair Service’s Baldwin and Buckley at Cambridge
Ben Jalosa Williams in Elevator Repair Service’s Baldwin and Buckley at Cambridge
Greig Sargeant and Daphne Gaines in Elevator Repair Service’s Baldwin and Buckley at Cambridge
Daphne Gaines in Elevator Repair Service’s Baldwin and Buckley at Cambridge
Greig Sargeant and Daphne Gaines in Elevator Repair Service’s Baldwin and Buckley at Cambridge
