The 2024 Voyage — Jabari Khaliq

One of the bigger struggles in 2023 was the passing of my grandmother, Gloria Scott. Her transition in May of that year felt like a pivot in my lifetime as many other matriarchs also began their transitions (Rest in paradise to my Aunt Ella and Aunt Hattie ❤️). 2024 began with me bringing my grandmother’s ashes to her home in her tiny little town in Louisiana. This past January, I drove with my mother during a snowstorm and made the 12 hour trip south to leave a piece of Grandma with her parents. What I walked away from it all was a shit ton of perspective.

My grandma, my grandfather and his relatives, and countless other black families from the south made this exact journey to the north and back an endless number of times. Holidays, family reunions, summer vacations, and everything in-between were bridged by that trek down I-57 and I-55. And yet, here I was making the drive myself for the first time after dozens of trips down south spent in the backseat with my portable DVD player loaded up with the Disney movie of the year. Needless to say, this trip felt different for many obvious reasons.

On the way back home, I ran my mind through the images that were fresh in the rear view. Grandma’s town, the high school my mother went to, the church my grandparents walked into when they were together—and everything leading up to my very existence. I then thought about everything that was to come, all the new memories that were rapidly approaching in this “new era”. I was overwhelmed by not just the snowflakes aggressively attacking my windshield but also the anticipation of everything in the year to come. I’m finally moving into places I want to be in the world and it’s happening during such a chaotic moment in time. And that’s when I was met with perspective:

Like I said, the drive was intense. Spending a lot of time growing up in the suburbs I’m used to dark roads but a snowstorm in the pitch black sheet of night on the interstate isn’t too ideal while grieving. After hours of not being able to see the road I remember asking my mother “Grandma and Papa used to travel to Chicago in THIS??” There was something about the way my mom laughed and shrugged when she said “That’s just what they did—it was just a part of their journey”

After 15+ hours of driving, I realized two things: 1. The fatigue I had watching Lion King 1/2 on DVD wasn’t too bad in comparison and 2. These measly 30+ hours spreading Grandma’s ashes was only a fraction of the time both sides of my mother’s family made their way to Chicago and back.

My grandparents left their lives down south and migrated to Chicago, forging a new voyage from the life they had to a life they dreamed about. That voyage was embarked time and time again as our family grew and expanded across America. The Scott’s have made this very drive that I was taking for generations now. We’ve embarked on this journey so often, that we had it down to a science. I fully realized as an adult the amount of effort that went into maintaining that connection that existed so long ago: The voyage from the life we had to the life we always dreamed of.

Every year my family went on this journey that connected their two worlds. Through the good times, the bad times, and the times unknown—we embarked on that voyage. It’s a ritual that’s in the foundation of our family: traveling from one home to the other, this was a journey that connected us. Returning home, I realized that my life as an actor has its parallels. Every year, we go thru the cycle of working and auditioning, in hopes of arriving to the next stop in our careers. We take that voyage every season in search of the (creative) life we always dreamed of through the good times, the bad times and the times unknown.

2024 was about me embarking on the voyage and enjoying the ride no matter what can (and will) go down along the way. That’s what my grandmother had to do in her lifetime many times over.

After getting to perform at Goodman Theatre a second time in The Nacirema Society and getting the taste of a lead track as Jim Fingal in The Lifespan of a Fact at TimeLine Theatre—I walked out of the first half of the 2023-24 theater season with some of the best confidence in my career: You quite simply couldn’t (can’t) tell me shit.

However, the end of 2023 was met with an opportunity I never saw coming and that was a chance to understudy again, but this time with some heavy hitters over at Steppenwolf Theatre. I ended 2023 by adding one final stop to my Understudy Tour—covering Jon Michael Hill in the world premiere of Purpose by Brandon Jacobs Jenkins and directed by THEE legendary Phylicia Rashad (!!). Actors like Harry Lennix and Cedric Young played my father. Tamara Tunie played my damn mama. I got to work with Alana Arenas, hands down one of THE best actresses I’ve ever worked closely with. Glenn Davis was artistic directing the company AND playing a lead. Ayanna Bria Bakari is a legend in the making. Like all of these people were in the room with me after so many years of grinding in the background. It felt like my hard work finally got rewarded.

Riding this wave peaked when I got to perform on 4/24/24. Officially being the second Nazareth Jasper in what would be one of the best selling shows of all-time at Steppenwolf. Suddenly, understudying all of those lead tracks made sense when I had to play Naz and narrate a 3-hour show, playing with and facilitating so many artists I admire. I felt like I was finally approaching the life I’ve been grinding for.

As Purpose closed, I got to finally reveal my next project, The Hot Wing King at Writers Theatre, directed by Lili-Anne Brown (another mf legend, if you weren’t aware). My next stop in the journey had me traveling throughout the entire city as I made my way up to Glencoe, IL to play Everett, a 16-year old teen looking for a new home after the violent death of his mother.

The Hot Wing King is another great new work written by Katori Hall about two queer men in Memphis navigating family drama as they prepare for a hot wing contest.

Not only did I get to finally get my feet wet a a principal performer, but I got to act with so many people who have been apart of my journey so far. I went to school with talented ass Kevin Patterson who played my dad, I understudied Jos N. Banks my first time at Congo Square and my first show after the pandemic. Breon Arzell and Thee Ricky Harris worked on my very first show in Chicago theatre when I understudied Choir Boy in 2017, and Joseph Anthony Byrd pulled up to my Steppenwolf performance during Purpose on 4/24.

Needless to say, I was surrounded by love and support during the entire process and I was supported and loved by artists who I have spent a long time growing up around. Trust me when I say, there’s no better way to make your arrival than how I arrived this spring and summer.

From eating chicken on stage to playing basketball (y’all don’t even wanna know LMAO) Everett came to life this summer and for the first time ever, I had critics writing my name. Hot Wing King happened and if you were one of the people who came all the way north to see us, I thank you. Every time we got to do this show for the audience it was intended for, it was magical.

“An actor whose star is on an impressive ascent, Khaliq plays the teenage Everett with a bounce in his step and a palpable youthfulness.”

— Zac Thriffiley, Broadway World Chicago

As my voyage in 2024 progressed and As Hot Wing King and the summer both concluded, I decided to make a change in representation. I signed with Stewart Talent right before my birthday in August. And suddenly, my 2023-24 season was over. An iconic Understudy Tour and an equity debut, just like that.

Shortly afterwards, I made my move to the camera and booked my first short film (TBA!) and found myself a leading man both on stage and on camera. Arriving in 2025, you will see my first of many films! Following that was another round of Jeff Awards as The Nacirema Society, Purpose, and The Hot Wing King all got love and nominations. Purpose even ended up winning Best Production, Best New Work, and Best Director. By the end of October I was slapped in the face with a heavy dose of “So now what”

And honestly? I still don’t know.

This fall after celebrating 10 years of Khaliq Photography, I made the decision to step away from the craft due to financial strain and burnout. I initially decided I would sell all my gear at the end of 2024 to get some extra income. Ultimately, I decided on an indefinite hiatus from Khaliq Photography and its projects.

I ended my year shifting my focus back to non-union work. I got to collaborate with a lot of my favorite peers doing non-equity theatre in Chicago. At Perceptions Theatre, I served as the videographer of our 4th annual BIPOC play festival and at Artemisia I worked on introductory videos along with aiding our WeWomen festival. I was also an actor for a podcast play at MPAACT and various plays in Redtwist’s Twisted PlayFestival. To cap the year, I booked my second non-union commercial!

Even typing all this now, I’m realizing just how loaded this voyage during 2024 has been. This year has had a LOT of good, a lot of bad and a hell of a lot of unknowns—but the one thing I can say for sure is that I lived and worked VERY hard this year. I have no idea where I am headed, but I do know I am traveling there from a place of pride.

As I drove back from Louisiana, I kept replaying the idea in my mind that this journey is unpredictable. I had Purpose and Hot Wing King on the way, a new agency on the horizon, and hard lessons to be learned immediately after. So many ridiculous highs and lows along this voyage to the life I truly want. And just like James and Gloria Scott did so many years ago, I continue on my path, trusting the journey along the way. It’s what we’ve always done. Here’s to taking another voyage in 2025, thanks for coming along with me.

Happy New Year

-Jabari