BWW Reviews: Arena Stage Production of THE MOUNTAINTOP Packs Powerful Punch

Reality and fantasy. How can a playwright balance the two particularly when the foundation of the play is so focused on a moment in American history that we all know so well? It's quite tricky. Young phenom playwright Katori Hall may have come close to finding the balance in her award-winning play The Mountaintop, which focuses attention on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. as he prepares a speech in a seedy and decrepit Memphis motel room (number 306 to be exact) on the night before his assassination in early April 1968. At the same time, her deeply personal, powerful, and engaging script offers two actors a chance to shine - and shine they do - at Arena Stage this month.

The Mountaintop is certainly not a world premiere. After a successful run in London, it made its way to Broadway for a limited run in 2011. Under the direction of the Arena Stage-connected Kenny Leon, two Hollywood luminaries (Samuel L. Jackson and Angela Bassett) served as ticket draws. While critical reception was mixed, the play attracted the attention of numerous regional theatre artistic directors around the country that saw fit to include it in their upcoming seasons. In Arena Stage's case, it was a good decision.

While Bowman Wright (Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.) and Joaquina Kalukango (Camae - short for Carrie Mae - a mysterious maid who comes to King's motel room), may not have the name recognition of their Broadway counterparts, they more than rise to the challenge of breathing life into the complex characters Hall has created. The solid direction (Robert O'Hara) and stunning yet non-distracting production values make this play even more of a must-see.

Certainly not a strict history play, we see an emotional King - well played by Wright - weakened by illness, come to grips with his own mortality, his legacy, and his place within the civil rights movement just hours before his untimely death. With assistance from the sparkling Camae - the details of which will not be spoiled here - he not only internalizes his destiny, but the impact of the broader civil rights movement he leads. Hall, for the most part, successful displays a heightened reality that allows us to see all these dimensions without losing focus on the central fact that although April 3, 1968 might be King's last night on Earth, it is by no means the end of his impact on the world.

At times the surprising interactions between Camae and King can border on being slightly overkill as written, but Wright and Kalukango avoid any tendencies to make them too campy or indulgent. They clearly understand Hall's heighted reality and give us raw and human performances both as individuals and a duo with undeniable chemistry. Wright shines when displaying King's dark, inner-struggles while Kalukango is at her best with the show's lighter moments. Further, while they are not completely able to overcome all of the weaknesses in Hall's script - she can become a bit too tempted to go 'too cutesy' (particularly in a scene where King and Camae summon a higher power) - their purposeful and nuanced performances make even the weakest, most distracting scenes tolerable.

Even if Hall's script is less than perfect in the middle, the ending packs a powerful punch and is among the most well-written and constructed parts of the show. Here, she allows her two leads to have time in the spotlight as individuals and Wright and Kalukango more than prove they can command the stage. Each of their powerful monologues is filled with intoxicating passion without seeming overwrought or too rehearsed.

The production elements - Jeff Sugg's projections, Clint Ramos' costume and set design, Lindsay Jones' sound designs and compositions, and Japhy Weidman's lighting - emphasize the heightened reality at play. The heavy use of sound designs and projections could be overwhelming in some small theatres. Yet, this production team achieves the delicate balance in capturing the intense atmosphere in Memphis that night, particularly King's motel room, without sacrificing intimacy. They enhance, rather than pull focus from, the powerful images that Hall's words evoke.

Running Time: 1 hour and 40 minutes with no intermission.

The Mountaintop runs through May 12, 2013 at Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater - 1101 6^th Street, SW in Washington, DC. For tickets, call the box office at 202-488-3300 or purchase them online.

Photo Credit: Scott Suchman (Bowman Wright and Joaquina Kalukango pictured).

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