"The Meeting," Jeff Stetson's play about a fictional meeting between Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcom X, runs Jan. 12-14 at Salt Lake Community College's Grand Theatre in Salt Lake City. Courtesy image

The great MLK-Malcolm X meet-up

Local theater » Parameters and possibilities of civil rights struggle plays out in Jeff Stetson’s drama, “The Meeting.”

By ben Fulton

| The Salt Lake Tribune

First Published Jan 10 2012 09:46 am • Last Updated Jan 12 2012 02:18 pm

Sometimes the "what if?" is far more interesting than the "who dunnit?"

Such might be the case with "The Meeting," a play by Jeff Stetson that explores the philosophical and political parameters of a fictional meeting between the two greatest figures of the U.S. Civil Rights movement, Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcolm X.

The "supposed clandestine meeting" between King and Malcolm occurs just after the burning of Malcolm’s home and one week before his assassination. As Malcolm, author of "The Ballot or the Bullet" spars with King, author of "I Have a Dream," the 20th-century’s greatest speech, the audience is asked to reconsider time-honored assumptions about what it means to fight and struggle for freedom. Lonzo Liggins plays Malcolm X, with Terence Johnson as Rev. King. Melissa Adams, co-founder of the EttaGrace Black Theatre Program, directs.

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"The Meeting"

When » Thursday-Saturday, Jan. 12-14, 7:30 p.m., with 1 p.m. matinee Jan. 12, and 4 p.m. matinee Jan. 14.

Where » Grand Theatre, 1575 S. State St., Salt Lake City

Tickets » $10. Panel discussions are free and open to the public. Call 801-957-3322 or visit www.the-grand.org for more information.

More » A panel discussion will follow the 1 p.m. matinee on Thursday, Jan. 12, featuring Salt Lake Community College faculty members Josh Gold and Millie Sparks. Another panel, following the 4 p.m. matinee on Saturday, Jan. 14, will feature the Rev. France Davis of Calvary Baptist Church and Anthony Farley, SLCC visiting professor. Panel discussions are free.

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