What would it have been like for him at the Lorraine Motel with a housekeeper he had never met?
It's unlikely you would come up with a script bearing any resemblance to the show now playing at NextStop Theatre in Herndon. And maybe, like me, you had not envisioned his last night, or wondered about the script for The Mountaintop which is far better than expected.
Only two actors appear (Curtis McNeil and Shayla Simmons) and their outstanding performances surely will net them and the director, Kevin McAllister, Helen Hayes nominations.
It always helps when an actor looks like the real-life character he (or she) portrays, and NextStop managers got it just right with Mr. McNeil's selection. He delivers a powerful, unforgettable performance, strengthened by costume designer Paris Francesca's attire of the white shirt and tie Dr. King wore in every picture or video in memory.
Ms. Simmons is a sassy flirt, "Camae," a hotel maid here,who prompts lots of laughs on this surprising night with its sad ending. The two spend time in the motel room together, having some fun before life's tragedies convene to end it all.
Mr. King's weaknesses do not go unnoticed.
The mention of a cellphone is puzzling, but the pieces shortly fit together and hint at future dialogue.
It was shocking to hear Dr. King's age (1929-1968). He was only 39? Every year his achievements grow in stature, recognized on MLK Jr. Day.
At the end, Mr. McNeil's wrenching portrait left him almost gasping for breath as he seemed to struggle to regain composure and receive the ovation from the standing audience.
Evan Hoffmann, scenic designer, and Alex Wade, properties designer, match their set to the actual room at the Lorraine (with the exception of the color; for some strange reason, they chose a peach, perhaps because the actual was a dull tan).
Yaritza Pacheco's sounds not only frighten Dr. King, but their perfectly timed mad claps of thunder (it must have rained that night) jolt the audience, too.
Kudos to Mr. Hoffmann, also the theatre's artistic director, and Abigail Fine, managing director, who chose the production to educate guests and honor Martin Luther King Jr., in a prelude to Black History Month celebrated every February.
The award-winning playwright, Katori Hall, is from Memphis.
Other members of the creative team are Lynn Joslin, lighting; Samba Pathak, projections; Sarah Usary, production stage manager; Jordan Ross, rehearsal stage manager; Lynda Bruce, assistant stage manager; and Suzy Alden, scenic painter.
What: The Mountaintop by Katori Hall
Duration: About 90 minutes without intermission
When: Through Feb. 2, 2020 with the last show at 2 p.m., Sunday, Feb. 2. Thursday through Saturday at 8 p.m., Sunday, Jan. 26, at 7 p.m., Sunday matinees at 2 p.m., and a Saturday matinee, Feb. 1 at 2 p.m.
Where: NextStop Theatre Company, 269 Sunset Park Drive, Herndon, VA 20170 in the back right corner of Sunset Business Park, near the intersection of Spring Street/Sunset Hills Road. Right off the Fairfax County Parkway. Lots of great restaurants nearby.
Tickets: Start at $35. Front row tickets are free for local high school students and their teachers.
Language: Rated X
Lighted, free parking: Available near the door.
Refreshments: Available and may be taken to seats
For more information: 703-481-5930 or info@nextstoptheatre.org
patricialesli@gmail.com
Refreshments: Available and may be taken to seats
For more information: 703-481-5930 or info@nextstoptheatre.org
patricialesli@gmail.com
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