ENSEMBLE THEATRE CINCINNATI’S 2013-2014 REACHES NEW HEIGHTS WITH REGIONAL PREMIERE OF KATORI HALL’S THE MOUNTAINTOP, MARCH 19-APRIL 6, 2014
(Cincinnati, OH) Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati continues its 2013-2014 season with THE MOUNTAINTOP, by rising American talent Katori Hall, which depicts a powerful and provocative reimagining of a pivotal night in Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s life—his last. Written by a then-30-year-old Hall, The Mountaintop won Britain’s prestigious Laurence Olivier Award in 2010, a first for any black female playwright. Directed by D. Lynn Meyers, THE MOUNTAINTOP plays March 19 to April 6, 2014.
Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati is pleased to welcome back Gavin Lawrence as he takes on the iconic figure of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Mr. Lawrence won over Cincinnati audiences and critics alike with his powerful portrayal of Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall in the sold-out run of Thurgood back in 2010. Joining him in this two-person regional premiere is Torie Wiggins, who wowed audiences in last season’s production of Black Pearl Sings!, as well as this past holiday as Princess Aouda in Around the World in 80 Days.
Memphis. The Lorraine Motel. April 4, 1968. A time and place burned into the American psyche. But what about April 3? How did Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., spend his last night on Earth? On the eve of his assassination, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., returns after delivering the speech of a lifetime – when an unexpected visit from an enigmatic and feisty, young maid pushes him to confront his life and the plight and future of his people. A breakout hit in London and on Broadway, The Mountaintop’s humorous, magical storytelling fictionalizes the final hours of Dr. King’s life and unveils the humanity and vulnerability of America’s larger-than-life Civil Rights icon.
“This isn’t the ‘I Have a Dream’ King. This is a more radical King. This is King, the man; not the myth,” explains playwright Katori Hall. “I want people to see that this extraordinary man—who is actually quite ordinary—achieved something so great that he actually created a fundamental shift in how we, as a people, interact with each other.’”
About the Cast
Gavin Lawrence returns to Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati to star as Martin Luther King, Jr. Mr. Lawrence was last seen on ETC’s stage in the regional premiere of Thurgood. His recent credits include the Steppenwolf production of The Gospel of Franklin in the title role, the role of Langston Hughes in Are You Now… at the Guthrie, and in both roles of Theseus and Titania in A Midsummer Night’s Dream at Ten Thousand Things Theatre. His regional credits include The Goodman, Arena Stage, Centerstage, Alabama Shakespeare Festival, Denver Center Theatre Company, Actors Theatre of Louisville, Mixed Blood, Children’s Theatre Company of Minneapolis, First Stage, Milwaukee Rep., Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, Kansas City Rep., and City Theatre, to name a few. He appeared offBroadway in Pure Confidence, and was recently named Best Actor by the Minneapolis City Pages BEST OF THE TWIN CITIES 2013. His awardwinning play, Cut Flowers was recently presented at Karamu House in Cleveland to rave reviews. Other plays produced include Salt Fish And Bakes (Best New Script Minneapolis Star Tribune), Bye, Bye Margarita, Lilies In The Valley, The Sound Of The Rain, B Is For Bully, Once Upon a Summertime, and N 2 The Mirror. He is the recipient of the Lorraine Hansberry Award for Best Writing Of A Play and the Distinguished Alumnus Award from Howard University.
Torie Wiggins (Camae) returns to Ensemble Theatre, having most recently appeared in Around the World in 80 Days, Black Pearl Sings!, and Alice in Wonderland. She co-adapted and performed her one-woman show, Your Negro Tour Guide at Ensemble Theatre of Cincinnati, as well as other venues in Cincinnati and across the country. She has appeared on All My Children, the feature film Love Me Through It and her voice can be heard on numerous national television and radio commercials Her Know Theatre of Cincinnati credits include Abraham Lincoln’s Big Gay Dance Party, Collapse, Afghan Women Writer’s Project, and Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson. She was recently seen in The Crucible and To Kill A Mockingbird at Cincinnati Shakespeare Company.
About the Playwright
Katori Hall is a playwright and performer hailing from Memphis, Tennessee. Her award-winning play Hoodoo Love premiered at the Cherry Lane Theatre in 2007. It was developed under Lynn Nottage as part of the theatre’s 2006 Mentor Project. Hoodoo Love received three AUDELCO nominations (Best Actress, Best Supporting Actress, August Wilson Playwright Award). Her other plays include: Remembrance, Hurt Village, Saturday Night/Sunday Morning, The Mountaintop, On The Chitlin’ Circuit, and Freedom Train (KCACTF ten-minute play national finalist). Her work has been developed and presented at the following venues: the American Repertory Theatre, Kennedy Center, Cherry Lane Theatre, Classical Theatre of Harlem, Schomburg Center, BRICLab, Women’s Project, World Financial Center, Lark Play Development Center, New Professional Theatre, The O’Neill, the Juilliard School, Stanford University, and Columbia University. She is the recipient of numerous awards, including the Lecompte du Nouy Prize, North Manhattan Arts Alliance Fellowship, New York State Council on the Arts Commission Grant, New Professional Theatre’s Writers’ Festival award, Fellowship of Southern Writers Bryan Family Award in Drama, New York Foundation of the Arts Fellowship in Playwriting and Screenwriting, Royal Court Theatre Residency, and the Lorraine Hansberry Playwriting Award. She has also been a Kennedy Center Playwriting Fellow. As an actor, her credits include Law & Order: SVU, The President’s Puppets (The Public), Growing Up A Slave (American Place Theatre), Incidents In The Life of A Slave Girl (American Place Theatre), the world premiere of Amerika (Theatre de la Jeune Lune/American Repertory Theatre), Spring Awakening (Moscow Art Theatre School), Ain’t Supposed to Die A Natural Death (Classical Theatre of Harlem), Schooled (WOW Café Theatre), and Black Girl (Sande Shurin Theatre). As a journalist, her work has been published in The Boston Globe, Essence, Newsweek, and The Commercial Appeal. She graduated from Columbia University in 2003 with a major in African-American Studies and Creative Writing. She was awarded top departmental honors from the university’s Institute for Research in African-American Studies (IRAAS). In 2005, she graduated from the American Repertory Theatre Institute for Advanced Theatre Training at Harvard University, receiving a Master of Fine Arts in Acting. She is now a student in the Juilliard School’s Lila Acheson Wallace American Playwrights Program. She is a proud member of the Women’s Project Playwrights’ Lab, the Lark Playwrights’ Workshop, and the Dramatists Guild.
Production team includes Brian c. Mehring (Resident Scenic & Lighting Designer), Aaron Clements (Technical Operations Director), Matthew Hollstegge (Production Coordinator & Master Electrician), Shannon Rae Lutz (Properties Master & Design Assistant), Michael Lenaghan (Properties Master), Matthew Tibbs (Sound Designer), and Chad Phillips (Costume Designer). Production Stage Manager is Brandon T. Holmes.
Ticket Prices
Tickets are $39 for Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday performances.
Tickets are $43 for Friday, Saturday, and Sunday performances.
Half-price rush tickets and $15 student rush tickets are available starting two hours prior to show time.
Tickets and seating subject to availability.
Other Single Ticket Discounts
Military/Educator, Public Radio Perks Card, ArtsWave FunCard, AAA, Senior and Enjoy the Arts discounts available; tickets and seating are subject to availability. ETC accepts all major credit cards and Downtown Cincinnati gift cards. A full list of available discounts and performance calendar is available at www.ensemblecincinnati.org.
Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati is supported, in part, by the generosity of community contributions to the ArtsWave Campaign.
The Ohio Arts Council helps fund Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati with state tax dollars to encourage economic growth, educational excellence and cultural enrichment for all Ohioans. Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati also receives funding from the Shubert Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts.
2013-2014 Season Presenting Sponsor is the Otto M. Budig Family Foundation. Additional support provided by Garfield Suites Hotel, The Greater Cincinnati Foundation, the Shubert Foundation, and National Endowment for the Arts.
Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati is a professional theatre dedicated to producing world and regional premieres of works that often explore compelling social issues. We fulfill our mission through our stage productions and educational outreach programs that enlighten, enliven, enrich and inspire our audiences.
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