'MedgarX'nJames' play about key civil rights figures to have world premiere in Palm Springs

Civil Rights activists Medgar Evers and Malcolm X and acclaimed writer James Baldwin were all ahead of their time, but often faced opposition for their views on society or the work they did during the Civil Rights Movement.

They each also attracted the attention of the American government in their own ways and were subjects of FBI surveillance. Though they are no longer here — Evers and Malcolm X were assassinated in 1963 and 1965, respectively, while Baldwin died from stomach cancer in 1987 — their impacts on society are still felt to this day.

These three figures all meant a great deal to playwright and actor Joachim Moore, and through extensive research, he embarked on a new and unique way to tell their stories and struggles. Coachella Valley audiences will be privy to that with his new one-man play, "MedgarX'nJames," which will have its world premiere May 12 and 13 at the Palm Springs Cultural Center.

Moore is the founder of Inner Circle Arts Society, a Black-owned arts group that was created in 2014 in Pasadena. He writes all of the shows that are put on — he has more than 150 to his name so far — which are usually bioplays about key historical figures, such as Jim Morrison, Grace Jones and Marsha P. Johnson. No matter the type of story that's being told, there's always a social justice element to it, he said.

Now that Moore and his family have moved to the Coachella Valley, he's planning on sharing his unique storytelling ways with the Palm Springs area.

One of those fresh takes is his shows having a translucent set. Audiences can see everything on stage, from makeup designers putting the finishing touches on the actors to the performers waiting in the wings. He believes having it all out in the open for attendees "makes it more magical" and allows them to better appreciate how a story develops.

"The West Coast is mainly a film-based area, and I've noticed people get pretty impatient if it's not visual," he said. "We intentionally break the fourth wall. We don't just perform on a proscenium stage, which means everything is right in front. There's so many different ways to perform. Put the actors in the seats next to the audience, let them feel those emotions. ... We want to give people more of a 360 experience rather than what's in front of them."

Much of that will be on display with "MedgarX'nJames," in which he plays all three historical figures. As he transforms from one person to another, he will chat with the audience to explain that person's backstory, all while viewers will be able to see him change costumes and get makeup done.

The idea for "MedgarX'nJames" began through a family connection with Evers, who was the NAACP's first field secretary in Mississippi. Moore's mother grew up in Greenwood, Mississippi, which he said was "one of the most potent points of discrimination" during the Jim Crow era and the Civil Rights Movement. As Moore tried to find out more about the Civil Rights figure, his mother did not want to share what their connection to Evers was or talk about him.

"I noticed that hush-hush feel in the South since I was a kid. 'Oh, we don't talk about that no mo',' because that's the way that a lot of people move away from oppression or move away from the dark things that happened in the past," Moore said. With "MedgarX'nJames," he wanted to showcase his dedication to his family and honor all the things they don't speak about.

As he did more research, he learned about the connections the three men had with each other. Baldwin, known for his essays and novels such as "Go Tell It on the Mountain" and "The Fire Next Time," was the "leader of all things civil rights," Moore said. He made many people "feel as if they could do it too," Moore explained, even if Baldwin's knack for the written word was hard to match. The writer's views on society also helped Moore better understand "where we need to be as a society." He was also friends with Evers and Malcolm X, and his unfinished manuscript. "Remember This House," dives into these men's lives.

With Malcolm X, Moore already had an understanding of the American Muslim minister who was a stark advocate for Black empowerment. But he learned new bits of information that go beyond what most people know about the often described "too radical" civil rights leader, he said.

Because each man had a different speaking style, Moore wanted his writing to reflect that. The section focused on Evers is a "full dramatic piece," he said, while orator Malcom X's is more prose.

It's been an interesting challenge to try to emulate the three men's voices and distinct styles, especially Baldwin's, he said, because "I don't sound as proper." But it's all allowed Moore to push himself with his acting to deliver an all-encompassing experience, especially the diverse Palm Springs crowd.

He hopes older audience members remember where they were when these men were impacting society and assess what they stood for at the time, while he hopes younger attendees learn about the people who came before them and understand how their legacies continue to contribution to modern life.

"They say in history, every 75 or 100 years, the same things happen in a different way. I hope to be that person that can be the catalyst for change through art," Moore said. "This is my protest. This is the way that I can teach and engage with people who are younger than me and older than me."

Audiences who don't get to catch "MedgarX'nJames" during its premiere will have another opportunity during Black History Month in 2024. Moore said the show will be one of three performed during the month of February, along with "Birds Flying High" about singer-songwriter Nina Simone and "The Sacred Obligation" about abolitionist John Brown.

Other shows that will be put on during the 2023-2024 season include "Pay It No Mind" about Johnson, one of the most prominent figures of the gay rights movement of the 1960s and 1970s; a Halloween play called "Mr. Joseph"; and "The Recorded Story of Nat King Cole." Inner Circle Arts Society is also going to release a series of short films this summer called "The Inner Circle Summer of Scare."

For more information, visit www.joachimmoore.com/the-inner-circle-arts-society

If you go

What: "MedgarX'nJames" play by Joachim Moore

Where/when: 7 p.m. May 12 and 13 at the Palm Springs Cultural Center, 2300 E. Baristo Road, Palm Springs

How much: $35

More information: tinyurl.com/3jc9buda

This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: One-man play 'MedgarX'nJames' to have world premiere in Palm Springs