The Mountaintop @ CircleTheatre
Photos by TayStan Photography
—Chris Sanders
Perhaps it’s because I saw this Circle Theatre production on Easter weekend, but I can’t help but compare the story of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to the stories of Jesus and Moses. This play in particular works as a form of allegory. The plot of Katori Hall’s The Mountaintop follows the final day of Dr. King’s life, before he was assassinated on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel in Memphis.
While Jesus fights the temptation of Satan before going on the cross, the reverend doctor feels tempted by angel-like beauty before accepting his cross to bear. Like Moses, he realizes he has worked towards a promised land he will never get to see. Yet, before he goes onto the balcony to meet his end, he sees the things that are possible for his children to experience because of the good work he’s done.
Katori Hall wrote this play in honor of her mother, Camea, and her missed opportunity to see Dr. King speak. Interestingly enough, his speech from that night could have been enough of an inspiration for Hall’s play as well:
“We've got some difficult days ahead. But it doesn't matter with me now. Because I've been to the mountaintop. And I don't mind. Like anybody, I would like to live a long life. Longevity has its place. But I'm not concerned about that now. I just want to do God's will. And He's allowed me to go up to the mountain. And I've looked over. And I've seen the promised land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight, that we, as a people, will get to the promised land. So I'm happy, tonight. I'm not worried about anything. I'm not fearing any man. Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord.”
Director D. Wambui Richardson, artistic director of neighboring Jubilee Theatre (both in downtown Fort Worth), directed this production of The Mountaintop. He cast Davayun Chase as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., who did an amazing job portraying the reverend doctor’s vocal posture and embodying the flaws and humanity Hall sought to show. He also cast Sydney Hewitt as Camea, a maid named (as noted before) for the playwright’s own mother. Hewitt did great work, particularly with the timing of Camea’s prophetic monologue of Martin’s missed future. I found myself with watery eyes.
This final moment was aided by the stunning visual effects of video projections. These projections were created jointly by lighting & projection designers Adam Chamberlin and Jamie Milligan.
The lighting design, along with the costume design by Aaron Patrick DeClerk, sound design by Joshua Nguyen, props design by Elena Cruce, and scenic design by Bob Lavallee, all worked in service of the action of the plot. The costumes, props, and scenery served their functionality for the characters to move in and around. None of the Aristotelian spectacles pulled heavy focus, unless called for, away from the story—a story in which the actual history is being pulled from textbooks and brought alive.
In a time where people need to learn more about history, even through fictional retellings like Watchmen and Lovecraft Country, it seems as though stories like The Mountaintop are more crucial than ever to our collective sense of where we’ve come from, and where we’re going.
WHEN: Through April 15
WHERE: Circle Theatre, 230 W. Fourth Street, Fort Worth
WEB: circletheatre.com
