Featured Image: LA Theatre Works
As I write, my calendar reads January 19th, 2017. A seemingly irreverent date to those outside these United States and, unfortunately, to some within. On January 19th, 2017 we celebrated as Jitney, the last of August Wilson’s The Pittsburgh Cycle, made it to Broadway. On a more somber note, January 19th, 2017 serves as the last day we can proudly proclaim, “MY PRESIDENT IS BLACK!”
As we prepare for the coming years, it’s vital we arm ourselves with self-care and I take mine in theatrical doses! So, when I heard The Mountaintop was given new life as an audio recording, I thanked God in all Her glory! As a re-imagining of the night before King’s assassination, Katori Hall, the show’s playwright, showcases a frightened and utterly human King.
Thankfully, this audio recording gives you a front row seat to the show’s UCLA performance. With the play still in development back in May 2016, we swooned at the news of “How to Get Away with Murder” and “The Birth of a Nation” star Aja Naomi King’s casting as Camae, playing opposite Larry Powell, who is no stranger to The Mountaintop. In 2013, Powell portrayed Dr. King at the Actors Theatre of Louisville.
After listening to a few minutes of this production, I can tell you this: Aja Naomi King approaches Camae with grace and comfort. The role, complex as it is, seems second nature to King. If you need self-care, King’s soothing yet spunky performance delivers.
In addition, Powell complements Aja’s transcendent Camae with Dr. King’s fear and grace. His portrayal exudes the love that Dr. King so often spoke of, even in his darkest moments. Hall’s The Mountaintop is a raw depiction of Black America’s brightest star, but more importantly, it tells the story of the pursuit of peace both in the world and within. Powell and King deliver reverent and lasting performances that gave this message life.
Directed by Roger Guenveur Smith, the production was recorded in Los Angeles before a live audience at The James Bridges Theater, UCLA, in May 2016.
Visit L.A. Theatre Works to listen to The Mountaintop.
