A play by Katori Hall
Review by Ernest Edwards
I was supposed to the see play The Mountaintop last week, but due to illness in the cast my performance was cancelled and I was able to reschedule my ticket to the matinee on Saturday February 21, 2026. Glad I was still able to see this play.
The play is a fictional account of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr’s last night on earth. A night spent at his hotel room in Memphis, as we now know as the eve of his assassination. Dr. King is joined by a housekeeper who brings him coffee late at night. As the play goes on, we learn that she is actually an Angel who is went to prepare him for what comes next.
As you walk into the Black Box theater at Artisty. You see the scenery is a 1960’s hotel room that is at an angle. I liked that the scenery was not 100% symmetrical with the theatre space for this play.
The notes from director Warren C. Bowels in the program are very insightful. I am one of the people referenced that grew up in the world after Dr. King’s assassination. According to the program, the playwright wrote this play based on stories told her by mother.
Mikel Sapp gives an amazing performance as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. He is able to embody and emote the passion, the drive and the essence of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Tyler Susan Jennings gave a great performance of Camae, the housekeeper turned Angel.
As a society we have come so far since the 1960’s, when it comes to equal rights. Even in 2026, we have so far to go. I liked how the play ended with the “passing of the baton” video that captured moments in time from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr’s assassination to the present. It was nice way to conclude the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
The performances of The Mountaintop by Mikell Sapp and Tyler Susan Jennings are not to be missed.
The play runs through March 1, 2026. Check out www.artistrymn.org for tickets.
