L.A. Theatre Works “The Mountaintop”

On the evening of April 4, 1968, Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated outside room 306 of the Lorraine Motel in Memphis. What happened inside room 306 the night before is a mystery. In this internationally acclaimed play, author Katori Hall imagines what may have transpired in the overnight hours between the legendary civil rights leader and a seemingly inconsequential hotel maid. Winner of the Olivier Award for Best New Play, “The Mountaintop” is rife with humor and political jabs, giving a glimpse at the human side of Martin Luther King Jr. Hours after his famed final speech, punctuated by the immortal line, “I’ve been to the mountaintop,” King reveals his hopes, regrets, and fears, creating a masterful bridge between mortality and immortality. “The Mountaintop” premiered in London in 2009 and subsequently ran on Broadway, starring Angela Bassett and Samuel L. Jackson. The program contains some mature language.