Theater Review: 'The Mountaintop' by Karori Hall at Playhouse on Park

“The Mountaintop” by American playwright Katori Hall is a 2009 “magical realist” play about Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Hall’s work is a fictional depiction of Dr. King’s last night on earth, set in Room 306 of the Lorraine Motel on the eve of his tragic assassination in 1968. On April 3, the night before his assassination, Pastor King gave his speech, “I've Been to the Mountaintop.”

From Katori Hall website: “Winner of the 2010 of the Olivier Award for New Play and Broadway hit starring Samuel L. Jackson and Angela Bassett, The Mountaintop is a surrealistic fantasy about a chance encounter between King and a mysterious hotel maid who brings him a cup of coffee and prompts him to confront his life, his past, his legacy and the plight and future of his people”.

Playhouse on Park has produced a stellar production of the play, with roles inhabited by two excellent Equity actors and impressive technical aspects that help to tell the story.

Jamil A.C. Mangan (‘Toni Stone”) directs the production. Acting highlights include winning the Connecticut Critics Circle Award for Best Actor for “Fences” at Playhouse on Park and a Best Actor nomination for portraying Dr. King in “The Mountaintop” at TheatreWorks Hartford.

He notes that this is not a history lesson. “It is an intimate reflection on purpose, vulnerability, and the courage to keep going even when the road is steep.” The interaction of the two characters imagines how Dr. King might have faced his own mortality on the eve of his death.

In his director’s note, Mangan shares that he has previously portrayed Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in this play. “Living inside this story as an actor revealed something to me that history books often cannot: the humanity of the man. The fatigue. The humor. The doubt. The tenderness. The courage.” Mangan returns to this work as a director with an entry point not of “reverence for the icon, but care for the human being.”

Equity actor Torrey Linder takes on the role of beloved civil rights leader Dr. King, who Hall paints with “warts and all.” The playwright includes depictions of his vanity and his flirtatiousness, all in an attempt to make him more human without detracting from his legacy.

This representation of Dr. King is made to challenge the audience to see the leader as more of an average human instead of placing him on top of a pedestal. The actor does well bringing out the humanity of the man. Linder appeared as Mr. Tambo in “The Scottsboro Boys” at Playhouse on Park.

Jasmine Shanise, an Equity actor, plays the role of the hotel maid Camae in her Playhouse debut. Hall took inspiration from her mother, Carrie Mae, when writing the play. Shanise shines when she delivers a speech standing atop one of the hotel beds wearing Dr. King’s jacket and shoes.

Takeaways from this script on seeing this show for the second time include the mentions of Dr. King’s contemporaries Malcolm X and Jesse Jackson, Dr. King sweeping the hotel room for bugging devices, the foreshadowing of the concept of a cell phone, and the fear that grips King.

The scenic designer Patti Panyakaew defines the Memphis hotel room (with a mostly offstage restroom) featuring furniture pieces of the late sixties period (which I well remember) and lots of orange. The design also includes some interesting elements just outside the hotel room door and window. Costume designer Vilinda McGregor (Singin’ in the Rain”) dresses the two characters in expected outfits, until Camae’s final appearance in stunning pieces. Props and set dressing by Judi Manfre add just the right touches and Christian Killada designed the inspiring projections for Dr. King’s vision at the end of the performance. It is filled with significant names that pick up the "baton" to continue the fight for civil rights.

Lighting designer Matthew Weisgable brings in a thunderstorm, with the help of sound designer Carter Mangan Jr., as well as a few other effects that encompass the entire stage. Everything is most impressive. Technical Director is Katrina Paul. The always informative lobby design Darlene Zoller, Rick Fountain, and Pat McChristian.

The playwright has constructed an enlightening play in “The Mountaintop” that is also funny, surprising and uplifting. “Can I get an Amen?” Hall’s most recent work for the stage is the 2021 “The Hot Wing King.”

“The Mountaintop” is presented with no intermission and runs approximately 95 minutes. There is both smoking and drinking in the script, along with some very strong language and the n-word. “The Mountaintop” runs at Playhouse on Park through March 22: PlayhouseonPark.org