The 60th Anniversary Of The Baldwin/ Buckley Debate

The Tongue & The Lash, a chamber opera by Damien Sneed and Karen Chilton, directed by Denyce Graves, reimagines the aftermath of the iconic 1965 Cambridge debate between James Baldwin and William F. Buckley, Jr. Baldwin, a Black writer from Harlem, and Buckley, a wealthy conservative, debated race and the American Dream, with Baldwin emerging victorious. This opera envisions their post-debate conversation, exploring their stark differences and shared intellectual rigor. Commissioned by Opera Theatre of Saint Louis and acclaimed since its 2021 premiere, this Town Hall production also features a pas de deux by Tony Award-winner George Faison and continues the tradition of A Return to Civic Discourse with leading scholars.