A Play Remembering Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Comes To West Chester

WEST CHESTER, PA — Uptown! Knauer Performing Arts Center is bringing “The Mountaintop” a play celebrating Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s legacy, with opening night 7 p.m. Friday, Feb. 3.

"The Mountaintop" tells a fictional story of King's last day on earth, April 3, 1968, before he was assassinated. It was written by award-winning playwright and television producer, Katori Hall, of Memphis, Tenn.

King spent his last day giving an impassioned speech, "I’ve Been to the Mountaintop” on behalf of Memphis sanitation workers who went on strike after the death of two workers were crushed by a truck.

The play will be performed as our nation celebrates Black History Month.

Since 1976, every U.S. president has set aside February as a month to celebrate the achievements of African Americans and their role in U.S. history.

The play is set in King’s hotel room on April 3, 1968. King comes in contact with a mysterious messenger, Carmae, an angel sent by God to bring King to heaven.

“This play is important in countless ways,” Ryan George, director, said. “It’s a wonderful exploration of MLK Jr. as a man.

"Not just the larger-than-life icon that gets discussed in a general way, but the red-blooded, flawed, funny, anxiety-ridden, hope-filled man," he continued. “The father, the husband, the friend that gets to just exist in a private space that we as the audience peer into during the length of the show.”

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. is played by Chaz Rose, who played the role in a production at The Hippodrome Theatre, in Florida.

Rose graduated from the University of the Arts, Philadelphia, and performed off-Broadway in “Black Angels Over Tuskegee” and “She Like Girls."

Camae is played by Brianna Miller. Miller graduated from Earlham College, Richman, Ind. She was part of the Cincinnati Shakespeare Company’s touring company and resident ensemble.
JBD Musicworks is part of the creative team and features John Lilley from The Hooters, Brett Edmonson, a professional bassist and composer and Daniel Gallery.

The play runs Feb. 1-19. Opening Night is Friday, Feb. 3 at 7 p.m.
Tickets are on sale, starting at $35 with discounts and savings available for school groups, families, seniors, students and the military.

Discounts are also available for groups of ten or more. All performances are on the Roy A. Smith Mainstage at Uptown, at 226 N. High Street. Tickets are available here.