August 28, 2013
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The
A final evening
with Dr. Martin
Luther
King
Jr.
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T
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" Kat° riHa" 'S The M0UntaintOp- Playing Saturday Aue- 31 trough OC. 2 7 at Portlandc l c e
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a n d
Mountaintop
But what about April 3,1968? How
l Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., spend
is last night on Earth?
Portland Center Stage s produc-
tionofThe Mountaintop, by Katori
Hall, previews Saturday, Aug. 31,
Memphis^ The Lorraine Motel, opens Friday, Sept. 6 and runs
Apnl 4, 1968. A tune and place through Oct. 27.
burned into the American psyche.
Playwright Katori Hall creates a
surrealistic fantasy in this breakout
Broadway hit about a chance en-
counter between Dr. King and a
mysterious hotel maid who brings
him a cup ofcoffee and prompts him
to confront his life, his legacy and
the plight and future of his people,
••Dr.Kingwasacomplex.compli-
cated man carrying a huge burden,”
says Director Rose Riordan. “Katori
has constructed a play that will keep
us from getting lost in the mythoi-
ogy of who he was.”
The cast
cast of
of The
The Mountaintop
Mountaintoj
The
includes Rodney Hicks as Dr. Mar-
tin Luther King Jr. Hicks was last
seen at Portland Center Stage as
Curly in 201 l ’s smash hit Oklahoma!
His Broadway credits include The
Scottsboro Boys, the closing and
original casts of Rent and Jesus
Christ Superstar, in addition to nu-
merous regional and off-Broadway
appearances.
The role of the mysterious motel
continued
on page 17