Is the American Dream at the expense of the American Negro?”

_{JAMES BALDWIN’S 1965 debate with William F. Buckley at Cambridge University will be reimagined at DePaul University.}  

This was the topic on February 18, 1965, when an overflow crowd packed the Cambridge Union in Cambridge, England, to witness a historic televised debate between James Baldwin, the leading literary voice of the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s, and William F. Buckley, Jr., a fierce critic and America’s most influential conservative intellectual. 

TimeLine Theatre Company presents the Chicago premiere of the American vicarious’ internationally acclaimed Debate: Baldwin vs. Buckley, adapted and directed by Christopher McElroen, through March 2, 2025. 

Thanks to a unique partnership between TimeLine and The Theatre School at DePaul University, the performance will be uniquely staged in Cortelyou Commons, a historic student gathering space built in 1929 on DePaul’s Lincoln Park campus that replicates Cambridge Union, where the original debate was held. The address is 2324 N. Fremont St.

Original cast members Teagle F. Bougere (Baldwin) and Eric T. Miller (Buckley) will reprise their roles in Chicago, following critically acclaimed runs in New York City, London and elsewhere. 

Don’t miss this imagining of the historic debate, a nice Black History Month treat. For tickets, visit timelinetheatre.com. 

TIME MAGAZINE FEATURED James Baldwin on its May 1963 cover.