A one-man play chronicling Malcolm X’s transformation from a young hustler known as Detroit Red is headed to Sacramento’s Oak Park neighborhood next week, bringing with it a string of sold-out runs from Los Angeles and Philadelphia. Written and performed by Los Angeles-based actor Todd Anthony, “RED” tells the story of Malcolm X beginning in his early adulthood and set during the early years of the Civil Rights Movement, with three performances scheduled at the Guild Theater.
The play runs at the Guild Theater, located at 2828 35th St. in Oak Park, according to the Sacramento Bee. Anthony combines his solo stage performance with multimedia elements that add visual storytelling and context, a format previously described in coverage of the show’s Philadelphia stop by the Philadelphia Tribune. Anthony said the play explores Malcolm X’s transformation along with broader themes of identity, growth and purpose.
From a Short Film to the Stage
The project didn’t start as a play at all. Anthony first conceived the concept as a short film in 2019, imagining what Malcolm X’s life might have looked like had he lived longer, before writing a TV pilot that eventually developed into the stage show now touring the country. Anthony brings nearly two decades of experience in television and film to the role, with credits that include a minor part on The CW’s “Black Lightning,” per the same Sacramento Bee report. The production is directed by Crystal Lee Brown, an Emmy-nominated actress.
“RED” arrives in Sacramento on the strength of a year of sold-out runs in Los Angeles and Philadelphia. How many total shows that encompasses depends on which account you read: event promotion for the Sacramento dates, posted on platform4purpose.co, cites 10 sold-out shows between the two cities, while the Philadelphia Tribune reported eight sold-out shows across two separate Los Angeles runs. The Philadelphia dates themselves were set for July 10 and 11 at the Independence Seaport Museum, according to the Tribune.
A Chance Meeting at the Airport
The Sacramento booking traces back to former Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson, who now owns the Guild Theater through St. HOPE Academy. Johnson expressed interest in bringing the show to Sacramento after meeting director Crystal Lee Brown at an airport, and he later helped set up Anthony and his team at the venue, the Sacramento Bee reported. Anthony said he believes Sacramento’s African American roots and arts community make the play especially timely and needed right now.
Anthony hopes the run draws a multigenerational crowd, telling 6abc ahead of the Philadelphia shows that he hopes the production draws a multigenerational crowd, especially young people. That hope carries personal weight: Anthony has said his own 19-year-old child had not learned about Malcolm X’s work in school, a gap he hopes the play helps close. He described younger audiences as “very bold” and said the show can educate and guide the next generation through the voices of the past.
Tickets and Advisory Details
General admission tickets are listed at $50 per person, while a $65 VIP ticket includes a front-row seat, a signed playbill and a photo with Anthony, according to the Sacramento Bee. Tickets are available through Anthony’s website and the Guild Theater’s website. A community event listing on sacculturalhub.com notes that the production contains strong language and simulated gunfire.
