In 21st Century America, how does one craft a compelling play featuring Martin Luther King as the main character without falling victim to an earth-bound bio-drama form? As a task that is very difficult, making young playwright Katori Hall's considerable achievements with "The Mountaintop" on Broadway particularly admirable. It does not hurt that she has a great cast - Samuel Jackson as MLK and Angela Bassett as a Memphis hotel maid-, and stunning production design by David Gallo to bring her two-hander to life.
The play is set at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis on April 3, 1968, the night before Dr. King was cruelly assassinated. There is not much one can say about the play's plot without spoiling the play for future viewers, but suffice it to say that the play does not shy away from portraying Dr. King as human, flaws and all. Some viewers will undoubtedly be turned off by depictions of MLK that include his human frailties, notwithstanding the existence of historical evidence to support some of them. I fear that such a reaction to this play fails to credit the playwright's skill in powerfully illustrating the awe-inspiring achievements of Dr. King, both in his life and in his legacy.
Ms. Hall's play starts out with the small and pedestrian, and builds like a Mahler symphony to a dramatic and moving crescendo. Her skillful writing is supported by terrific direction from Kenny Leon, and nothing less than a breathtaking performance by Angela Bassett. Bassett sets the bar high for her future competitors for the actress Tony award next June. "The Mountaintop"'s achievements are justly rewarded, for at the performance I saw, the rhapsodic audience response at the curtain call was among the strongest I have ever heard in a theater.
"The Mountaintop" gets the fall theater season in New York off to a rousing start. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said of two new off-Broadway plays- MCC's "The Submission" and Vineyard's "The Lyons"- that fall victim to similar failings. Both plays feature great lead performances (by Jonathan Groff and Linda Lavin, respectively), but both plays end up muddled, with their themes getting lost amidst noxious doings after some promising beginnings. However the next few months offer a promising list of offerings, many of which I hope to note in future posts.
