Jan 9–Feb 24
By Katori Hall Directed by Kwame Kwei-Armah
MEDIA KIT features
Amtrak Arrive B Radio (WEAA, WYPR) TV (WBAL, WJZ, Oak Crest) Washington Blade
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reviews
Baltimore Sun City Paper City Paper WYPR Broadway World Afro DC Theatre Guide MD Theatre Guide DC Metro Theater Arts Chesapeake Taste Baltimore Post Examiner Outspoken
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Amtrak Arrive
feature (January, 2013)
Staging the End of the Dream
Media Representative: Heather Jackson | hjackson@centerstage.org | 410.986.4016 (direct)
The Mountaintop
Media Kit | pg. 2
B
feature (January 15, 2013)
Like/Dislike with Myxolydia Tyler, actress Jordan Bartel
Media Representative: Heather Jackson | hjackson@centerstage.org | 410.986.4016 (direct)
The Mountaintop
Media Kit | pg. 3
feature
WEAA (January 23, 2013) Cast & Crew on Marc Steiner Interview with Marc Steiner
We speak with the director and stars of The Mountaintop. The Mountaintop is a play about the last night of Martin Luther King Jr.’s life, and imagines a conversation between King and a maid named Camae in the Lorraine Hotel. We’re joined by CENTERSTAGE Artistic Director and director of The Mountaintop Kwame Kwei-Armah and the play’s stars, Shawn Hamilton and Myxolydia Tyler. Listen to the mp3 of this interview on this cd.
WYPR (January 11, 2013) 1-11-13: Lines Between Us - Martin Luther King, Jr., as a Voice for Labor Interview with Tom hall “You are doing many things here in this struggle. you are demanding that this city respect the dignity of labor. so often we overlook the work and the significance of those who are not in professional jobs. of those who are not in the so-called big jobs. but let me say to you tonight that whenever you are engaged in work that serves humanity, it has dignity, and it has worth.” Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. said those words in an address to striking sanitation workers in Memphis, Tennessee, just two weeks before he was murdered on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel. In the last spring of his life, Dr. King spoke forcefully about worker’s rights and the dignity of work. He took a pause from the Poor People’s Campaign in New York to travel to Memphis to support the sanitation workers. Baltimore’s CENTERSTAGE is presenting a play that imagines a conversation between Dr. King and a maid at the Lorraine Motel during this period, the night before his assassination. It’s called The Mountaintop, and it runs through February 24th. Tom Hall talks with Kwame Kwei-Armah, the the Artistic Director of CENTERSTAGE who’s directing the play. Listen to the mp3 of this interview on this cd.
Media Representative: Heather Jackson | hjackson@centerstage.org | 410.986.4016 (direct)
The Mountaintop
Media Kit | pg. 4
WBAL
feature (February 1, 2013)
On the Hill Interview with Sarah Caldwell WBAL-TV invited Kwame Kwei-Armah and Stephen Richard on to TV Hill to talk about Kwame’s arrival, The Mountaintop, and CENTERSTAGE’s 50th Anniversary on On the Hill. Video clips of these interviews are on this cd.
WJZ
(Jan 20, 2013)
Cast on ON TIME Interview with Kai Jackson Kai Jackson spoke with Myxolydia Tyler and Shawn Hamilton. View.
Oak Crest
(February 1, 2013)
Shawn Hamilton on Good Morning Oak Crest *We hope to get this clip soon and will try to find a way to get it to you!
Media Representative: Heather Jackson | hjackson@centerstage.org | 410.986.4016 (direct)
The Mountaintop
Media Kit | pg. 5
Washington Blade
feature (January 23, 2013)
CENTERSTAGE hosts Black Pride Night Steve Charing For the Jan. 15 performance of The Mountaintop, CENTERSTAGE theater held “LGBT Night” in which board members from Baltimore Black Pride (BBP) were invited to attend. Jan. 15 is Rev. Martin Luther King’s birthday. BBP founder Carlton R. Smith and chair Kevin Clemons presented to the audience a brief history of the organization while interim vice-chair Kimberli Lagree Simmons briefly discussed BBP’s new theme. “This was an opportunity to let Baltimore Black Pride broaden our scope of this year’s Pride season to the community at large and to launch our new theme ‘New Era: Evolution 2013,’” said Smith. Members of the audience made cash donations to the organization. The Mountaintop, running through Feb. 24 at CENTERSTAGE, is a fictionalized account of Dr. Martin Luther King’s final night before his assassination.
Media Representative: Heather Jackson | hjackson@centerstage.org | 410.986.4016 (direct)
The Mountaintop
Media Kit | pg. 6
review
Baltimore Sun (January 18, 2013) Katori Hall’s play about MLK gets effective production from CENTERSTAGE Tim Smith
No matter how many times it is replayed, Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.’s speech in Memphis, April 3, 1968, retains uncommon, chilling power. “Longevity has its place,” he said. “But I’m not concerned about that now. I just want to do God’s will.” In more ways than one, that sentiment haunts The Mountaintop, Katori Hall’s provocative, fanciful play about King’s final hours in Room 306 at the Lorraine Motel. Since its modest Broadway run in 2011, the play has picked up steam. Several productions are slated around the country this season, including a satisfying one currently on the boards at CENTERSTAGE with a terrific cast. It is easy to quibble with Hall’s concept, especially the turn in the plot that the press has been asked not to discuss, for the benefit of unsuspecting audiences. Even before that point, however, you may find yourself questioning the playwright’s effort to capture the human side of King, right down to the use of a toilet (offstage) and references to smelly feet. The language (including the ‘N’ word), the smoking and, after a decidedly saucy maid name Camae answers his room service call, the flirting — they all take a layer off the varnish on the martyred civil rights leader. Of course, we all know that King was, like the rest of us, imperfect, but some of Hall’s methods to drive that point home can seem forced. Speaking of forced, there are anachronistic, even deconstructionist turns along the way, including an effort to make King sound like an advocate for gay rights. I’m not sure that fits smoothly with the history of those days, when a remarkable figure early in the civil rights movement, Bayard Rustin, was marginalized for being gay. Sometimes, though, Hall’s use of hindsight pays off nicely. The mere mention of the name Jesse, as in Jackson, gets interesting laughs. And, in the play’s closing moments, a look at the view King did not live to see from his last mountaintop has undeniable force. In the end, Hall’s most remarkable achievement may be the way she reveals the unvarnished King to be such an extremely engaging man. He’s capable of humor and caprice (OK, the pillow fight scene may be a step too far). He’s incisive and sensitive. Asked by the maid to name one thing blacks and white have in common, he responds: “We scared, Camae. We all scared. Scared of each other. Scared of ourselves.” He is aware of his limitations, and even more painfully aware of his the potential he wants to fulfill. The CENTERSTAGE production gains considerably from Shawn Hamilton’s portrayal of King. He’s an arresting presence from the first moments — pacing the room, checking the phone for bugging, trying out a few lines from a new next speech, flinching at the sound of thunderclaps. The actor does not lay on a thick impersonation, but lets his ability to conjure the Reverend sneak up on you. When Hamilton finally lets loose with oratory, the sound and cadence of his delivery have an uncanny ring. Myxolydia Tyler jumps into the role of Camae with hips blazing and deep-fried Southern accent drippin’. The sexy banter and sexier moves recall Flip Wilson’s Geraldine character a little too often, but Tyler ultimately wins you over. Camae’s irreverently funny side is a key element in the play, and Tyler makes it register. But as the maid reveals her back story — “I’m betta at cleanin’ up other folks’ messes than my own,” Camae admits — the actress is just as keenly attentive to tone and nuance. Media Representative: Heather Jackson | hjackson@centerstage.org | 410.986.4016 (direct)
The Mountaintop
Media Kit | pg. 7
Baltimore Sun Cont. Kwame Kwei-Armah directs the staging with a steady hand, attentive to mood and momentum. Neil Patel’s spot-on set is evocatively lit by Scott Zielinski. The Mountaintop is not the last word on King, but it makes a thoughtful, daring attempt to wrestle with his personality, his death, his legacy. The only difference between the saint and the sinner, Oscar Wilde observed, is that every saint has a past, and every sinner has a future. Hall’s ability to illuminate both sides of that coin makes for intriguing theater. Hamilton’s Martin Luther King is presented almost exactly how one recalls the civil rights icon or remembers from footage. He is dignified but very human in his weaknesses, consumed with the responsibility of fostering social and economic change, and appropriately worried about his fate. His part calls for humor but nowhere as much as Camae. In this play both Hamilton and Tyler put on an acting clinic. The Mountaintop premiered in London in 2009 to critical acclaim and won the Olivier Best New Play Award. It opened on Broadway at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre on September 22, 2011 to mixed reviews. Several productions have since been staged in various regional venues around the U.S. At the conclusion of the heart-thumping climax to The Mountaintop at CENTERSTAGE, the actors (and creative team that included the excellent work of lighting director Scott Zielinski) received a resounding standing ovation envisaging a promising Baltimore run.
Media Representative: Heather Jackson | hjackson@centerstage.org | 410.986.4016 (direct)
The Mountaintop
Media Kit | pg. 8
review
City Paper (January 23, 2013) Dr. King’s Last Dream Geoffrey Himes
The first time I visited the Lorraine Motel, in 1981, it was a scary place. It was 13 years since Martin Luther King Jr. had been shot on the balcony outside the motel’s Room 306, and the intervening years had not been kind to the building. What had been the top-of-the-line lodging for African-American celebrities in 1968’s segregated Memphis had earned a reputation in 1981’s integrated Memphis for prostitution, drugs, and decay. Plywood boards were nailed over a quarter of the windows, and the parking lot was full of broken glass. Inside Room 306, neighbors had cobbled together an amateurish memorial with typed index cards thumbtacked to the walls. The second time I visited the Lorraine Motel, in 1998, the building had become the central section of the National Civil Rights Museum, an unquestionably safe, professionally curated, emotionally moving cathedral of history. Room 306 remained the same, but the surrounding exhibits provided a context for King’s assassination that the earlier index cards couldn’t possibly match. What the museum couldn’t offer, however, was a connection to the desperate poverty that had brought King to Memphis in 1968 to support the local sanitation workers’ strike. That connection had been inescapable on my first visit. Katori Hall’s play The Mountaintop takes place entirely in the Lorraine’s Room 306 late on the night of April 3, 1968, and in the early-morning hours of the next day. Later that second day, King will be shot by James Earl Ray from a boardinghouse bathroom near his motel. In the meantime, however, King tries to unwind and recover his strength following a long speech at Memphis’ Mason Temple, after many months of frustrated campaigns and controversy. He shakes the rain off his dark suit and calls to his right-hand man, the Rev. Ralph Abernathy, in the parking lot below to bring him some Pall Mall cigarettes. King (Shawn Hamilton) orders some coffee from room service, and it is delivered by a young woman named Camae in a paleblue maid’s uniform with a white apron. Camae is Hall’s creation, but she represents a connection to Memphis’ very real African-American underclass that was so obvious in the 1981 version of the Lorraine Motel. As played by Myxolydia Tyler, Camae drinks whiskey like a fish, smokes Pall Malls like a chimney, flirts like a cat in heat, and swears “like a sailor with the clap,” as she herself puts it. By contrast, actor Shawn Hamilton introduces King as the devout preacher with a Ph.D. from Boston University, a man worthy of the National Civil Rights Museum. The longer Camae hangs around in the room, though, the more King sheds his sophistication and begins to drink, smoke, and flirt just like her. “You’re just a man, baby,” Camae tells him. “You’re not God.” King’s documented history of womanizing lends the give-and-take between the educated, famous leader and this roughedged, unschooled maid a sexual frisson that adds to their class, generational, and political differences. Tyler and Hamilton take full advantage of all those aspects—flirting, fighting, joking, and comforting with high style and energy. The relationship between Camae and King is so vibrant and persuasive that one is willing to forgive the play its flaws. Even when he’s making a joke or hitting on the younger woman, the wonderfully controlled Hamilton makes it clear that King’s every line and gesture is the carefully crafted product of an intellectual writer who premeditates even his most emotional moments. Tyler makes it equally clear that the English language coming out of her mouth and the body language emanating from her wriggling hips are purely spontaneous—so much so that she repeatedly claps her hand over her lips when a cuss word slips out. It’s not easy for an actress who has memorized an entire script’s worth of lines to make them sound ad-libbed, but Tyler does just that. The sharp contrasts between the only two characters in this one-set, 85-minute, intermission-less play not only engage us dramatically but also shed light on the inner dynamics of any marginalized community. Whether we are talking about African-Americans in the ’60s, gay Americans in the ’80s, or Latino-Americans in the ’00s, there is always a tension between the community’s polished, prepared public leaders and the unpolished, spontaneous masses those leaders purport to represent. To be effective, those leaders have to be different than their followers but not so different that they become unrepresentative. How much difference is too little or too much? That’s what King and Camae are negotiating during their long night together.
Media Representative: Heather Jackson | hjackson@centerstage.org | 410.986.4016 (direct)
The Mountaintop
Media Kit | pg. 9
City Paper Cont. For a while, the plot is driven by the question: Will they or won’t they sleep together? After a while, though, Hall abandons that issue and her script diverts into a supernatural plot twist. I won’t give away what that twist is, but I do need to say this: When one creates an otherworldly or alternate universe, that new world has to follow rules that are clear and internally consistent. In the best fantasies, such as J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings or Frank Capra’s It’s a Wonderful Life, those rules are lucid and logical. We know exactly what Frodo the Ringbearer and Clarence the Angel must do to succeed in their quests and exactly what powers they and their enemies possess. Hall never makes Camae’s goals and abilities half as precise, and so her alternate world ultimately flounders. What she does succeed at, however, is bringing together more and less refined representatives of an oppressed community on an isolated island where they have to engage one another. Thanks to the terrific performances of Hamilton and especially Tyler, that engagement is thrilling until the plot stumbles. For a long time, though, director Kwame Kwei-Armah is able to make us see the Lorraine Motels of 1968, 1981, and 1998, all at the same time.Hamilton, who bears some resemblance to Rev. King, does not attempt an impersonation, but he invokes King sufficiently for us to understand how such a man could lead a people into profound change. He gives us a King who is charming and grave, witty and troubled, man and mountain himself. Tyler’s Camae exudes a power which at first seems to come from her sexuality, but as the play proceeds we see it comes from the knowingness at the core of her being. These are two actors who know their characters, and as a result of their performance, we do too. About midway through the production there is a transformation which changes the nature of the characters and the nature of the story. It is profoundly moving, invoking history as it does, but afterward some of the play’s energy dissipates. The dialogue is just as crisp and witty; the performances are just as good; but the stakes have changed. In the first part, the whole of future is in play, but in the second part we are grounded in the historical present, looking at the past. I am sorry I cannot be more specific. On April 4, 1968, at 6:01 in the evening, James Earl Ray put a bullet in Dr. King’s head; he was pronounced dead an hour later. His heart was stilled. Our hearts were broken, and our nation nearly was as well. But it was his life, not his death, which was the seminal event in our history; and America’s great drama is not on the mountaintop, but what lays beyond the mountain.
Media Representative: Heather Jackson | hjackson@centerstage.org | 410.986.4016 (direct)
The Mountaintop
Media Kit | pg. 10
review
WYPR (February 4, 2013) In The Mountaintop, MLK is More Man Than Myth “Katori Hall chose to depict King as--in her words--’the man, not the myth’.” - J. Wynn Rousuck
A scene from The Mountaintop On April 3, 1968, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered his famous last speech often known as “The Mountaintop speech.” The next day he was assassinated on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel in Memphis. The setting of the play The Mountaintop is King’s room at the Lorraine Motel on the night of April 3. As Maryland Morning theater critic J. Wynn Rousuck explains, The Mountaintop playwright Katori Hall was inspired to write the play from her mother’s inability to see King speak for the last time in Memphis. While the setting is grounded in history, the interaction between King and Camae--a maid at the Lorraine Motel--is purely fictional. Hall also created her own interpretation of the civil rights leader. “Her vision of Martin Luther King is a man who smokes, who’s not averse to taking a drink, who’s a little flirty and who even curses a bit,” Rousuck says. “It’s a choice that hasn’t always set well with theatergoers.” Hall’s artistic choices have set well with some critics. The play and versions of the cast have been honored with numerous awards. CENTERSTAGE’s production of The Mountaintop is the play’s Baltimore premiere. Listen to the mp3 of this interview on this cd.
Media Representative: Heather Jackson | hjackson@centerstage.org | 410.986.4016 (direct)
The Mountaintop
Media Kit | pg. 11
review
Broadway World (February 1, 2013) BWW Reviews: The Mountaintop at CENTERSTAGE - Leave Reality at the Door Charles Shubow
Be honest with yourself. You hear about a new play that deals with the Reverend Martin Luther King’s last night prior to his assassination at the Lorraine Hotel in Memphis, Tennessee and the only other character is a hotel maid. What do you imagine the play will be about. Well, I was surely surprised to see such a riveting play that deals with the realization that all celebrities, whether politicians or ministers all have their foibles. CENTERSTAGE Artistic Director Kwame Kwei-Armah takes on the role of Director of this 90 minute intermission-less play that was honored in England with the Olivier Award for Best New Play written by young playwright Katori Hall who was still in her twenties and a novice when the play opened in London. He chose wisely adding this play to his initial season as Artistic Director. The Mountaintop has been on Broadway in a production that starred two outstanding actors, Samuel L. Jackson and Angela Bassett. The buzz in Baltimore was what would this play really be about. Kwei-Armah (fresh from his receiving the OBE designation at Buckingham Palace) should be applauded for bringing this fresh look at the Reverend King (if you visit the King Memorial in Washington, DC notice that there is no mention of him being a Reverend). He has selected a cast that is impressive. Shawn Hamilton as King is just plain sensational in his characterization of this iconic individual. He recently appeared as King at the Guthrie Theater in APPROMATTOX. Playing the maid is Myxolydia Tyler who happens to play a dual role which I will not reveal. The play is set in the hotel room of King at the Lorraine Hotel (now a museum) on April 3, 1968, the night before he is shot on the hotel balcony. King arrives after speaking before a few thousand people about the sanitation workers’ strike in Memphis. One can hear him yell from his room to Ralph Abernathy to get him is favorite cigarettes, Pall Malls. He calls the hotel for room service for some coffee and maid Camae arrives using the April 4th newspaper (published the night before) to protect her from a rain storm. To say she is a character is an understatement. King is exhausted, frustrated about his appeal to his “flock”, and wonders if his sermons stressing non-violence are working. Before Camae arrives, he practices sayings like “Why America is going to hell.” I really believed I was watching the actual Dr. King on stage, Hamilton is that believable in this tough role. The two actors are literally on stage the entire evening, a remarkable feat. There’s even a pillow fight which thanks to Dramaturg Gavin Witt was based on a factual event with Andrew Young. After you see this play, you will never think of King the same way again. Kudos to Projections Designers Kate Freer and Alex Koch, Lighting Designer Scott Zielinski and Sound Designer Victoria Delorio (get ready for a lot of thunder and lightning).
Media Representative: Heather Jackson | hjackson@centerstage.org | 410.986.4016 (direct)
The Mountaintop
Media Kit | pg. 12
review
Afro (January 30, 2013) Fine Acting, Intriguing Plot Highlight The Mountaintop Edith Billups
The Mountaintop, Katori Hall’s humanistic portrait of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is on stage at the CENTERSTAGE in Baltimore through Feb. 24 and offers a rare glimpse of King as an ordinary, simple man with flaws. Featuring Shawn Hamilton as King, the play portrays the civil rights leader on the last night of his life after giving his famous I’ve Been to the Mountaintop sermon at Mason Temple in Memphis. He has an imaginary meeting with a maid, Camae, played feistily by actress Myxolydia Tyler. Written by Hall, a Memphis native when she was in her early 20’s, the play shows a side of the mythic King that rarely came into public view. In the production, the Nobel Peace Prize winner smokes Pall Malls, cusses, and is terrified at the sound of thunder. He also is becoming more progressive in his philosophy and thinking, Hall humanizes the icon even more, portraying him as a man who has no problem with telling little white lies to his wife, has smelly feet, and who can flirt with the best of them. Still, there is balance in the portrayal as we see King as the father who tucks his children into bed over the phone, worries over a boy shot dead in an unjust encounter and who is quick to anger when the name of God is used in a disrespectful way. To his credit, Hamilton pulls off the complexity of King with ease, capturing King’s mannerisms and speech pattern in a style that is dead on. The action commences when an exhausted and half-sick King orders coffee by way of room service. The newly hired maid breezes in and the action notches up quickly from that point. King is the epitome of cool to the maid’s fiery personality which is punctuated by outbursts of uncontrollable, foul language. Camae smokes like a man, carries a liquor flask, and later, in one of the more hilarious moments in the play, portrays King as a kick-butt, take- no- prisoners revolutionary. While the two seem miles apart in social status, Hall wonderfully shows the oneness of their thinking as King and Camae weigh in on subjects ranging from Malcolm X to Vietnam. Throughout the play, there is edginess and sensuality as the two flirts back and forth, keeping the audience wondering if the minister is going to cross the line. The weight of the responsibility that King carries, however, is never lost on the audience. Hamilton beautifully portrays King’s fears, doubts and steely resolve. There is a plot twist that will take many by surprise. It seems a bit far-fetched, but that seemed to not dim the interest of the opening night audience. For some, like Annette Burton, a Baltimore actress,”I thought the play was excellent, and very well acted. I also like the way the play brought you up through time and had Marti rise up and see a changed world. It was like Moses. He was going to get to the Promised Land, but he would set things into motion so that others would. When I saw Obama’s name, I was crying at the end.”
Media Representative: Heather Jackson | hjackson@centerstage.org | 410.986.4016 (direct)
The Mountaintop
Media Kit | pg. 13
review
DC Theatre Scene (January 21, 2013) The Mountaintop Tim Treanor
It is not fanciful to compare Dr. Martin Luther King, whose birthday we celebrate today, with Moses. Like the biblical figure, Dr. King led his people out of captivity. Like Moses, the Georgia preacher struggled with his fractious followers, who were drawn to false idols in the face of their leader’s stern and exacting principles. And like the man who led the Israelites out of Egypt, the man who led America up the path toward equality died without witnessing the fulfillment of his dreams. So playwright Katori Hall, late of Arena Stage’s playwright-in-residence program, invokes the right metaphor to lead us to King, who in this play is in the last day of his life. Her Martin Luther King (Shawn Hamilton) is an extraordinary man who is ordinary too; he bellows at an offstage Ralph David Abernathy to pick up some Pall Malls; he urinates in an offstage bathroom; he calls home and comforts his daughter, who is having trouble sleeping. Moses doubtlessly did most of these things too. He calls room service for some coffee. Camae (Myxolydia Tyler), who brings it, also brings something else – a witty, profane voice; a sympathetic ear and a perceptive intellect; some more Pall Malls (the Reverend is out) and some whiskey to sweeten his coffee. She is also quite beautiful. Reverend King, like many humans (including the man who occupied the White House at the time, and his predecessor) had difficulty remaining faithful to his spouse, and you can see him become infatuated with this saucy, intelligent, attractive woman. This could get creepy fast but in CENTERSTAGE’s strong production it does not. The flirtatious dialogue is grounded in mutual respect, and it is soon clear that the erotic possibilities will not be consummated. Nonetheless, there is sizzle in the background as Camae critiques everything from the great man’s stinky feet to his leadership of the movement. King has already achieved those objectives which the white population had supported most broadly: integration, voting rights, and non-discrimination in employment. He now seeks further, more controversial, remedies and it is not going well. Many of his white followers believe that the mission is accomplished and the problem is solved. On the other hand, many African-Americans feel he is not moving fast enough, and have abandoned his leadership for that of Stokely Carmichael and Malcolm X. Camae, invited by the great civil rights leader to propose her solutions, dons his shoes and suitcoat. “Kill the white man,” she says, “with your mind.” Rather than integrate white lunch counters, she argues, build some of your own. And in this brief speech, she encapsulates the enduring struggle of King’s later years – integration vs. Black separatism. It is the high point of the play. Hall instills the play with authority and credibility in part by installing it with great authenticity. She uses, exclusively, language that was in existence in 1968. At one point King tells Abernathy that he shouldn’t think him “sadity” (i.e., snooty) for smoking Pall Malls, and Camae calls her cigarettes “squares.” These terms have been out of currency for thirty years or more, but Hamilton and Tyler use them naturally, as Hall obviously intends. On the other hand, there is not a single word or phrase in the play (except something I cannot talk about) that came into use later than 1968, helping The Mountaintop achieve what every history play requires: fidelity to history. Director Kwame Kwei-Armah brings the same commitment to historical accuracy to the production, and in particular to Neil Patel’s superb set, which embraces 1968 in every particular, from the 1960s furniture to the twin beds. (As America in 1968 was not as awash in wealth as it is now, it was not as unusual for two men on a business trip to share a bedroom as it is now, and the room was known as the “King-Abernathy suite.”) Patel also summons up a thunderstorm; we see the rain as it rattles against the window, and with every crack of thunder Dr. King flinches, as any man who had been the subject of death threats for a decade might.
Media Representative: Heather Jackson | hjackson@centerstage.org | 410.986.4016 (direct)
The Mountaintop
Media Kit | pg. 14
DC Theatre Scene Cont. Hamilton, who bears some resemblance to Rev. King, does not attempt an impersonation, but he invokes King sufficiently for us to understand how such a man could lead a people into profound change. He gives us a King who is charming and grave, witty and troubled, man and mountain himself. Tyler’s Camae exudes a power which at first seems to come from her sexuality, but as the play proceeds we see it comes from the knowingness at the core of her being. These are two actors who know their characters, and as a result of their performance, we do too. About midway through the production there is a transformation which changes the nature of the characters and the nature of the story. It is profoundly moving, invoking history as it does, but afterward some of the play’s energy dissipates. The dialogue is just as crisp and witty; the performances are just as good; but the stakes have changed. In the first part, the whole of future is in play, but in the second part we are grounded in the historical present, looking at the past. I am sorry I cannot be more specific. On April 4, 1968, at 6:01 in the evening, James Earl Ray put a bullet in Dr. King’s head; he was pronounced dead an hour later. His heart was stilled. Our hearts were broken, and our nation nearly was as well. But it was his life, not his death, which was the seminal event in our history; and America’s great drama is not on the mountaintop, but what lays beyond the mountain.
Media Representative: Heather Jackson | hjackson@centerstage.org | 410.986.4016 (direct)
The Mountaintop
Media Kit | pg. 15
review
MD Theatre Scene (January 21, 2013) Theatre Review: The Mountaintop at CENTERSTAGE James Miller
It’s a familiar scene to any modern audience—a man, a woman, a motel room. Indeed, at first glance, The Mountaintop, now playing at CENTERSTAGE, mimics countless other dramas that have come and gone from the American stage. Don’t let that fool you. What follows is a truly extraordinary piece of theatre—in both content and execution. Playwright Katori Hall takes a refreshingly bold look into of one of America’s darkest moments, filled with plot twists, personal anguish, and, perhaps most surprisingly, laughter. The show, which recently won an Olivier Award for Best New Play, follows Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and the motel maid, Camae—who proves exceptional in her own right—on the night of April 3, 1968, the eve of Dr. King’s assassination in Memphis Tennessee. Without revealing the play’s major theatrical conceit, let it suffice to say that Hall strikes an ingenious balance between the macrocosmic political consequences of the moment and the high-stakes, personal consequences for these two individuals. Their sexual tension is held skillfully aloft through the show’s conclusion, and the subtext of desire underlies their every move. It is exceedingly well-written, and the artistic team, under the direction of Kwame Kwei-Armah, has done it complete justice. Simply put, Shawn Hamilton’s portrayal of King is amazing. He manages to navigate the play’s intricate maze of humor and humanity with a natural precision. He is well-matched by Camae (Myxolydia Tyler), whose intoxicating self-confidence and wit explodes through her thick (and, occasionally, wandering) Tennessee accent. The design, too, draws the audience in, with a creatively ominous backlight (Scott Zielinski) and underscore (Victoria Delorio). The motel room (Neil Patel) is picture-perfect 1960’s—a sea of yellow, orange, and brown, with rain streaming down the window (a reminder of the real and metaphorical storms raging outside). To its credit, The Mountaintop has something to say without ever seeming too heavy handed. Hall discards our romanticized vision of King, and, instead, portrays him as a living, breathing (and lying, cheating, and chain-smoking) man, who worked miracles on earth with bravery and perseverance. Stripped of his sainthood, he reveals his basic and remarkable humanity, and under every flirtation and proclamation is the deep sadness of a man who will not live to see his dream come true.
Media Representative: Heather Jackson | hjackson@centerstage.org | 410.986.4016 (direct)
The Mountaintop
Media Kit | pg. 16
DC Metro Theater Arts
review (January 17, 2013)
The Mountaintop at CENTERSTAGE Amanda Gunther The final moments of a man’s life can be profound and deep, especially when they are the final moments of one man who touched humanity in a deeply profound way, leaving his legacy to change the nation. Such moments are revealed in astonishing lights as CENTERSTAGE presents Katori Hall’s sensitive new play The Mountaintop. A moving poignant cultural revolution takes to the stage in this cutting edge work that highlights the final moments of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. the night before his assassination. Directed by Kwame Kwei-Armah, this play is a gripping roller coaster of heightened emotions, rich comedy, and thought-provoking moments of life and its meaning, the pursuit of justice, truth, and righteousness all melded into one impressive dream of a show. Scenic Designer Neil Patel crafts the feeling of a 1968 motel room in Memphis with simplistic ease. The retro feel resonates strongly in the color of the walls and the quaint minimalist furniture. Lighting Designer Scott Zielinski accentuates the feeling of the rundown atmosphere with his naturalistic lighting of the interior. Keeping the room in dull low lights with a table lamp and a desk lamp authenticates the setting by allowing the actor to remain in darkness until he is ready to let in the light. Together these designers allow the actors to be the focus of the production while still inviting the audience into the timescape of the play. The play builds momentum with a strong feel of raw power. It turns the tide and brings new meaning to plot twists and explosive endings. Hall’s writing it witty, edgy and heartwarming as well as thought provoking. It’s ripe with satire; wellbalanced against the harsh reality of the over arching topic and movement of the piece. Director Kwame Kwei-Armah evokes deep emotions from his actors in this production, utilizing a vast knowledge of Dr. King’s historical figure as well as the political climate of the time. Playing the iconic Dr. King is Shawn Hamilton. With a vocal prowess that emulates so many of the recordings played throughout history, Hamilton portrays the legendary civil rights activist with due respect and justice, revealing him to be every bit the martyr and hero that the world believed him to be, as well as the honest simple man that the world never saw. Hamilton is extremely realistic in every action played. From talking on the phone during various conversations, properly pacing pauses to ensure the audience that there really is someone talking to him on the end to practicing his sermons aloud, he crafts an organic sense of naturalism to the character. Hamilton shows Dr. King at his lowest and most vulnerably exposed points in the sudden plot twists that erupt midway through the performance; above all maintaining the reality that before anything else he is simply a human male, flawed and imperfect like everyone else. This genuine portrayal give the play a profundity that shocks the audience to the core. Playing opposite Dr. King is the motel’s maid Camae (Myxolydia Tyler). A bubbly loquacious perky character with a zesty edge to her exterior, Tyler plays to perfection against Hamilton in this production. In touch with her character’s deep religious and controversial sinning roots, Tyler portrays a lively vibrant woman with a headstrong sense of empowerment that is riveting and captures the audience’s attention. Her facial expressions express her star-struck awe of preacher King while tempering it with a humbled appreciation of his work and devotion to his cause and his god. Together Hamilton and Tyler make an explosive team; their flirtations are sharp and poignant laced with zingers in true repartee fashion that make their interactions that much more invigorating. And when the tables turn after the major plot twist, Tyler balances out the emotional exasperation of Hamilton with her calm and collected sense of existence. When Hamilton is faced with the ultimate crisis he plows through the stages of grief with vehemence; erupting with denial, vocally blazing with the fury of his anger, bargaining with desperation in his pleas, delving deep into his body’s movements to actualize his depression and finally humbly and gently accepting his fate. The Mountaintop has two phenomenal performances and is an amazing moving drama.
Media Representative: Heather Jackson | hjackson@centerstage.org | 410.986.4016 (direct)
The Mountaintop
Media Kit | pg. 17
Chesapeake Taste
review (January 17, 2012)
Theater review: The Mountaintop at CENTERSTAGE Nadja Maril Memphis, April 3, 1968: Dr. Martin Luther King unwinds at the Lorraine Hotel after delivering his “I’ve been to the Mountaintop speech” in support of striking sanitation workers. It’s cold and rainy and the crowd who came out to hear him had been smaller than anticipated. He’s waiting for cigarettes as he gears up to prepare his speech for the following day, and that is where The Mountaintop, playing at CENTERSTAGE in Baltimore, begins. Written by Katori Hall and directed by Kwame Kwei-Armah, the play stars Shawn Hamilton as Dr. King and Myxolydia Tyler as a hotel maid named Camae, who give excellent performances in the Baltimore Premiere of this 90 minute one-act play with no intermissions. Playing through Sunday February 24, the well paced dialogue and the content make this a must-see theater event. So what was on Dr. King’s mind that rainy night in the Lorraine Hotel and what kind of conversation might he have had with the maid who delivers his coffee and lends him a cigarette? You’ll have to see the play to find out because I am honor bound not to divulge the ending. When you do buy your tickets, pay attention to where your seats are located. I did experience a problem with the acoustics in the Head Theater where the play is being performed, and had some difficulty hearing the actors at all times. The seats in the “orchestra” section are elevated every two rows and if you are in the second row after the riser behind tall broad patron your vision can be partially blocked (as I experienced). I would recommend sitting in the balcony or mezzanine. Nevertheless, despite these difficulties, I still highly recommend seeing The Mountaintop. A special performance event is scheduled for Martin Luther King Day on January 21. For the details as well as times and ticket prices visit their website.
Media Representative: Heather Jackson | hjackson@centerstage.org | 410.986.4016 (direct)
The Mountaintop
Media Kit | pg. 18
Baltimore Post Examiner
review (January 18, 2013)
Fable Falls Short of The Mountaintop Anthony C. Hayes For an entire generation of Americans, a handful of places will forever be somber reminders of turbulent times. Dealey Plaza in Dallas, The Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles and the Lorraine Hotel in Memphis are three such sites. Room 306 of the Lorraine Hotel, the place where Dr. Martin Luther King was assassinated, is the setting for the play The Mountaintop, the current production at CENTERSTAGE in Baltimore. Written by Katori Hall and directed by Kwame KweiArmah, The Mountaintop delves into the what might have been’s of Martin Luther King’s last night on earth. The play which premiered in London in 2009, was a surprise sensation, selling out its run at Theatre503, before moving to the Trafalgar Studios in the West End. Winner of Britain’s 2010 Olivier Award for best new play, The Mountaintop opened on Broadway in Oct 2011 at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theater and starred Hollywood heavyweights Samuel L. Jackson and Angela Bassett in the rolls of Dr. Martin Luther King and Camae, a hotel maid. The Mountaintop is a fantasy with enough historic fact to give the audience a real sense of what may have been running through King’s mind the last night of his life. Five years after the March on Washington, where he delivered his immortal “I Have a Dream” speech, King was fighting not only against societal bigotry and a senseless war in Vietnam, but also the murmurings of followers who were tired of walking and waiting. The play opens with a weary King entering an equally worn out room. As King unwinds from delivering a speech in support of striking sanitation workers, a call for room service brings a curious hotel maid to King’s quarters. In King we see a man who is at war with himself, tempted by a seemingly coy and calculating free spirit. We also see a colossus who is both amused and soothed by the wit and the wisdom of this common maid. When he mentions his many marches, she replies, “Walking only gets us so far.” Camae also reminds him, “the movement is bigger than just one man.” Unfortunately, what starts off as a promising premise eventually morphs into a metaphysical mess. That’s not to say that the play isn’t entertaining. It is quite entertaining. In fact, as a whole this production of The Mountaintop is a very viewable tale. What is sad is that for sixty minutes Hall takes the audience on a compelling ride only to shift into what is best described as a touched by an angel moment. What remains for the last thirty minutes of the story is simply odd and uninspired. The action shifts but the actors carry-on and never miss a beat. Shawn Hamilton as King wisely steers clear of what could have been a bare imitation and instead delivers a very human portrayal of the famous civil rights leader. In lighter bits, Hamilton is relaxed, making the audience feel right at home. More importantly, in moments of frustration he conveys not only fear but also a subtle foreshadowing of the flames which would follow King’s untimely death. There are a few hyperbolic hiccups in Hamilton’s performance, but these quickly pass and the actor returns to a solid portrayal. Myxolydia Tyler as Camae is frolicsome, foul, sassy, loveable and oh-so streetwise. When she flirts with King, one feels she’s flirting with the audience as well. There are several stereotypical moments in her performance but they are done to great effect and her character is convincing without being condescending or contrived. For all of her byplay, it is left for Camae to deliver the lessons of this story, and Tyler puts them across with charisma and charm. Kudos to Casting Director Pat McCorkle for bringing Hamilton and Tyler to CENTERSTAGE. Director Kwame Kwei-Armah keeps even the odd turns moving at a relatively comfortable pace, allowing the actors to lightly spar as the dialogue moves them along. Scenic Designer Neil Patel gives the players a harvest gold hell in which to act out this tale while Lighting Designer Scott Zielinski paints the set with just the right amount of dimness to accent the dingy, depressed surroundings. The Mountaintop is not a great play but it’s saved by two very good performances in a fairly watchable production.
Media Representative: Heather Jackson | hjackson@centerstage.org | 410.986.4016 (direct)
The Mountaintop
Media Kit | pg. 19
review
Examiner (January 20, 2013) The Mountaintop peaks during Baltimore debut Vickie Oliver-Lawson
Accomplished playwright Katori Hall takes a peek at the “myths” behind the legendary civil rights leader, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr,. as her play, The Mountaintop, made its debut in Baltimore, directed by Kwame Kwei-Armah. The two-member cast features Shawn Hamilton and Myxolydia Tyler, both of whom are making their debut at Baltimore’s CENTERSTAGE, but hold many stage and screen credits to their names. Set against the backdrop of the historical 1968 sanitation workers strike in Memphis, the play supposedly chronicles the last few hours in the life of Dr. King in Room 306 at the Lorraine Motel. In addition, Hall presents and exposes this Dr. King as an ordinary individual given over to “any-man” types of conditions and vices, some of which include smoking, drinking, lying, and smelly feet. She stirs up some controversy as the slain civil rights leader is also portrayed as flirtatious and arrogant. The play features a lonely Dr. King who is befriended by the sassy and colorful character of a maid, Camae, in the KingAbernathy room of the hotel. Hall exercises some literary license as she uses the elements of humor and frank discussions of emotions throughout the play, (which also contains an angelic twist), to evoke laughter as well as provoke thought. The characters take theatregoers on a historical retrospective of events which have occurred during the life and since the assassination of Dr. King. Comments overheard throughout the theatre at the conclusion of the play included: “The characters did a wonderful job”, “The guy sounded like him, too”, and “It was very different, but I enjoyed it.” All this (speechless) writer could think was, “Wow!”
Media Representative: Heather Jackson | hjackson@centerstage.org | 410.986.4016 (direct)
The Mountaintop
Media Kit | pg. 20
OUTspoken
review (January 17, 2013)
Reaching The Mountaintop at CENTERSTAGE Steve Charing The timing of the CENTERSTAGE’s presentation of Katori Hall’s The Mountaintop could not have been better. The two-person fictionalized play about the last night of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s life, ably directed by CENTERSTAGE artistic director Kwame Kwei-Armah, brackets the national celebration of the civil rights leader’s birthday, the second inauguration of the first African-American president in U.S. history—a summit that could not have been climbed had Dr. King not taken on the struggle—and runs well into Black History Month. Playwright Hall noted “This isn’t the ‘I Have a Dream’ King. This is King, the man; not the myth. I want people to see that this extraordinary man—who is actually quite ordinary—achieved something so great that he actually created a fundamental shift in how we are, as a people, interact with each other.” Indeed, the portrait of Dr. King in this play is that of an ordinary individual—a smoker, his feet smell, he lies to yet he is very much in love with his wife—challenged by the burden of leading his followers to “the promised land.” Neil Patel’s set is designed to replicate that of Room 306 at the rather seedy Lorraine Motel in Memphis on the night before Dr. King was assassinated. Complete with coral-colored drapes and matching bed spreads, cheesy motel pictures on the wall and a door that opens up to that fateful balcony, the set becomes the venue for the entire play and a showcase for two outstanding actors. Shawn Hamilton and Myxolydia Tyler make their CENTERSTAGE debuts with this production. Both have considerable acting experience and that was clearly demonstrated throughout the play. On a stormy April 3, 1968 where the rain is seen cascading outside the balcony door and flashes of lightning and claps of thunder appear throughout, Dr. King (Hamilton) has returned to his room he shares with the Rev. Ralph Abernathy. He had just delivered his famous “I’ve Been to the Mountaintop” speech at Mason Temple in connection with the Memphis sanitation workers strike. Tired, somewhat ill, and disappointed by the low turnout at his speech, Dr. King orders up some coffee. He mutters, “Why America is going to hell” over and over, probably working on a future speech, as he paces and peeks outside waiting for his close associate Rev. Abernathy to bring him Pall Malls. A motel maid named Camae (Tyler) appears with the coffee and the two, a bit wary of each other at first, begin to connect. Each time Camae leaves after what appears to be the logical conclusion of a conversation, lightning flashes and thunder rings outside that not only prevents her from exiting but elicits a reflexive ducking from Dr. King. You see, he has been getting more and more death threats as his movement progresses and it’s getting to him. Camae is a feisty, spunky and sometimes foul-mouthed young woman who after a bit of intimidation from speaking to this national figure, she becomes more confident. Dr. King is flirtatious while Camae struggles to resist temptation, resulting in some comical exchanges. The conversations ascend to headier topics, such as race relations, violence versus peaceful approaches, and hauntingly, Dr. King’s examination of his own mortality. These interactions are hilarious with the comedic balance tilting towards Camae. She has tons of sass; Dr. King, solid and steady but clearly apprehensive on several levels, play off her effectively. At one juncture you would think The Mountaintop is a comedy. It’s not. But the humorous barbs that propel the play and enhance the character development sets up the second half, where a shocking twist in the plot occurs that will not be disclosed here.
Media Representative: Heather Jackson | hjackson@centerstage.org | 410.986.4016 (direct)
The Mountaintop
Media Kit | pg. 21
OUTspoken Cont. Hamilton and Tyler bring a tremendous amount of chemistry to their performances. Tyler’s role as Camae is more complex than Hamilton’s King and seemingly has more lines overall. Her southern voice inflections help work these lines well, and her facial expressions and mannerisms add even more. Tyler’s soliloquy where she offers her version of a King-like speech is a highlight. Hamilton’s Martin Luther King is presented almost exactly how one recalls the civil rights icon or remembers from footage. He is dignified but very human in his weaknesses, consumed with the responsibility of fostering social and economic change, and appropriately worried about his fate. His part calls for humor but nowhere as much as Camae. In this play both Hamilton and Tyler put on an acting clinic. The Mountaintop premiered in London in 2009 to critical acclaim and won the Olivier Best New Play Award. It opened on Broadway at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre on September 22, 2011 to mixed reviews. Several productions have since been staged in various regional venues around the U.S. At the conclusion of the heart-thumping climax to The Mountaintop at CENTERSTAGE, the actors (and creative team that included the excellent work of lighting director Scott Zielinski) received a resounding standing ovation envisaging a promising Baltimore run.
Media Representative: Heather Jackson | hjackson@centerstage.org | 410.986.4016 (direct)
The Mountaintop
Media Kit | pg. 22