X: or Betty Shabazz v. the Nation-the NY Premier at the New Victory Theater

The Acting Co.'s GAESAP X was an powerful staging of Malcom X's life from 1963 to his assassination on Feb. 21, 1965.  The biopic play, determined "to pour history into us," is set in a fictitious court room.  Testimony is presented by Malcom's widow, Betty Shabazz acting as a prosecuting atty.  Witnesses called to testify included Louis Farrkhan (the defendant,) Louix X, nat'l rep. of the Nation of Islam (NOI,) Dlijah Muhammad, former head of NOI and others.  The staging is in stark shades of black/white and only black/white clothing for the actors is a mock courtroom replete with bleachers.  The judge, an Islamic woman, is positioned at the pinnacle of the steps and the cast comes down the steps to testify or to act out various scenarios. Audience members are seated on stage as jurors.  Malcom's history is not sugar coated.  His time in prison for drug trafficking are factual as are the salacious allegations of Elijah Muhammad sexual assaults.  The scenes between Betty & Malcom carried a tenderness that stoked fire in Betty when levying charges at Malcom's accused killers.  The acting by the entire cast, many of whom played double roles, was sensational. Surprisingly, the singing & dancing worked credibly to frame historic events.  The "buried truth of Malcom X's death" and "climate of hate in our country" were testimonials that rang out in this thought provoking & insightful production.  Truth has a way of engraving itself in time.  The play, meant as an eulogy to Malcom X proved inconsequential compared to the guilt of corruption born of power within any organized cult, religion or government institution.  "It is said that power corrupts, but actually it'smore true that power attracts the corruptible."  (D Brin)