An imaginary meeting between the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X is the focus of “The Meeting,'' an award-winning play that comes to Union Monday, Feb. 5, as part of events celebrating Black History Month.
The 7 p.m. performance at the Nott Memorial is free and open to the public.
The adaptation by the Grimes Theatre Group of New York is based on playwright Jeff Stetson's compelling drama about a clandestine meeting between two of the most influential civil rights leaders of the 20th century.
The one-act play takes place on Valentine's Day in 1965 in a Harlem hotel room, just a week before the Black Muslim leader was assassinated. The dialogue explores the likely conversation over the different political, religious and philosophical views favored by the men, and their efforts to advance freedom.
The play was originally produced in 1987 and was adapted by American Playhouse on PBS in 1989. Since then, it has been performed by theater groups at college campuses across the country.
“The Meeting” has received a Louis B. Mayer award, eight NAACP Theater awards and other honors. The production at Union is sponsored by the Intellectual and Cultural Committee of U-Program.