Our collective memory of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is that of the sanitized savior gun downed in his effort to make life better for black people. The critically-acclaimed “The Mountaintop,” strips away some of King’s shine to give us a fuller picture of this great leader and his journey.
The play stars Samuel L. Jackson and Angela Bassett. It’s set in room 304 of the Lorraine Motel on April 3, 1968 in Memphis, Tenn. The play takes place the night before King was assassinated. It portrays King as a smoker, a womanizer and vulnerable. These are adjectives that don’t make the yearly homage to Dr. King.
I had the opportunity to see “The Mountaintop,” which is playing on Broadway, this year. The play deserves the accolades. For King worshippers, of which I am one, it’s unsettling to see Jackson play him as a chain-smoking, drinking, flirt. Yet, this gritty portrayal also brings King down to Earth. Jackson and Bassett are electrifying in the roles. Once you get past the shock of seeing King flirting with Bassett, who plays a maid, it’s easy to settle into the message. The play is a story about King’s struggle to be the voice of people who didn’t know they needed a voice and who rarely spoke with one voice. It’s a story of fear, hope and faith.
Bassett plays a temptress maid sent to deliver King coffee and a whole lot of sass. However, it is a little challenging to see her as a young giggly maid. The role is so different from the characters she typically plays in movies so it took some getting used to. The play also to drag in the second half, but the finale (imagine Bassett rapping) is worth it.
“The Mountaintop” closes Jan. 22. To read about Charlotte’s connection to the play read Mary Curtis’ article on QcityMetro.
