The Amen Corner

KCMPT presents a revival of James Baldwin’s classic play The Amen Corner, directed by Melonnie Walker. The Amen Corner, Baldwin’s first work for the stage written in 1954, chronicles the story of a Black female pastor in Harlem, Margaret, who must grapple with the social, cultural and gender limitations of pastoring a storefront church when she is suddenly confronted by the secular life that she left behind. When her long-lost husband Luke, a jazz musician, and the father of her only son, returns to address unreconciled questions of their past love, and the impact of his absence on their estranged son, David. The Amen Corner asks relevant questions about the Christian faith, the Black family, gender roles, and race that resonate in the 21st century, almost 70 years after Baldwin’s play premiered.