The Town Hall celebrates James Baldwin with the New York premiere of the chamber opera,“The Tongue & The Lash” and “A Return to Civic Discourse” on Feb. 18, 2025.

Damien Sneed and Karen Chilton’s “The Tongue & The Lash” picks up at the end of Baldwin and William F. Buckley, Jr.’s infamous televised debate in Feb. 1965. The opera imagines the moments following the debate as it wonders aloud what the post-debate conversation might have been as both men continue their intellectual sparring with pugilistic fervor.

“The Tongue & The Lash” was commissioned by Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, and had its world premiere in 2021, to critical acclaim. Making her Town Hall directorial debut for this production is Denyce Graves.

The evening will also include a pas de deux choreographed by Tony Award-winning choreographer, George Faison, along with the long-standing tradition of The Town Hall’s “A Return to Civic Discourse” led by leading scholars. The panel discussions will be followed by a Q&A session from the audience both in person and those attending via livestream.

Read Related Stories

• Artist of the Week: Laura Karpman, Steven Mackey & Damien Sneed

• Artist Profile: Denyce Graves, An Essential America Mezzo