The Mountaintop
Play by Katori Hall Directed by Felichia Chivaughn
Change is Now.. Everyone has a role to play. Our Art is activism. We get to do this together. - Felichia Chivaughn
Contents 1 - Intro to Important Background 2 - MLK P.1 3 - MLK P.2 4 - Katori Hall 5 - Felichia Chivaughn 6 - Important Mentions P.1 7 - Important mentions p.2 8 - Important Mentions P.3 9 - Summary of Play 10 - pre-show Discussion 11 - Pre-Show Activity 12 - Game 13 - Post-show Discussion 14 - Post-Show Activity 15 - Goodbye!
Important Background Historical Context
Play
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Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Katori Hall
Felichia Chivaughn
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Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The Beginning
After college, he enrolled in Crozer Theological Seminary, where he would spend three years studying theology. During his time at Crozer, he was elected president of his predominantly white senior class and received his Bachelor of Divinity in 1951. Later, he would study at Boston University to earn his doctorate in 1953. During his time in Boston, Dr. King met his wife, Coretta Scott, and would marry and later have two sons and two daughters.
January 15, 1929, Michael (Martin) Luther King was born. His grandfather began servicing as a pastor of the Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta in 1914, creating a legacy his son and grandson (Dr. King) would follow. Before becoming a pastor, Dr. King went to a segregated public school in Georgia, where he graduated at 15. He later received his B.A. from Morehouse College in 1948 at the age of 18.
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Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. cont. During the 1950s, Dr. King became the pastor of the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church. He was also a member of the executive committee for the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). He would later be granted leadership of one of the most pivotal nonviolent civil rights demonstrations, the bus boycott in Montgomery, Alabama. This event led to the Supreme Court of the United States declaring the laws over the segregation on buses were unconstitutional. In 1957, Dr. King was elected president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference; which he used his time at this organization to travel all over the United States and would speak anywhere he felt acts of injustice were taking place. Throughout this movement, he was inspired to write one of his most famous addresses, "Letter from a Birmingham Jail." During this time he also wrote five books and many articles on these issues. Apart from his speeches and writings, he planned drives in Alabama to assist black voters in registering. In August of 1963, he directed the peaceful March on Washington. He delivered his "I Have a Dream" speech; he also connected with President John F. Kennedy and assisted President Lyndon B. Johnson on his campaign. Martin Luther King Jr. was the youngest man to have received a Nobel Peace Prize. In Dr. King's fashion, he donated his prize money to further assist the civil rights movement.
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Katori Hall
"For me it was just really important to pull him down off that pedestal, examine him look at the cracks and crevices that I know he as a human and also as a leader had." - Katori Hall
Hall's inspiration for writing, The Mountaintop, came from a personal experience her mother had. During the sanitation workers' strike, there was a rumor going around that someone was going to kill Dr. King in Memphis. Her mother and grandmother lived in this area. Her mother wanted to see him speak, but her grandmother did not let her mother go due to the dangerous circumstances. The next day Dr. King was shot. This is the reason she wanted to set the play on the last night of Dr. King's life.
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director's chair
Why The Mountaintop? Why Now? Masterful storytelling. Written by a Black female playwright. Intersection of themes and identities. Leads us to reflection. Calls us into action. -FC
Why it is personal for Felichia Chivaughn? As a child, I grew up idolizing Dr. King. I was amazed by his courage and inspired by his speeches, letters, and sermons. As a child, I grew up idolizing my mom. A black woman who cleaned up after and took care of elderly white folks. I was amazed at her strength and inspired by her tenacity. As a black artist, I longed to see complex and dynamic characters on screen and on stage. We are served this on a silver platter. As a director, part of my mission is to amplify black voices and the work and brilliance of black women. I plan to shout about our work from mountaintops. As an activist, I’m encouraged to see hope lift him (us) up when fighting weighs him down. I am in awe of how both heroes face violence and still choose love.
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Important mentions in The Mountaintop
Malcolm X Malcolm X is one of the most pivotal figures in civil rights history. His powerful words captured the attention of a country, encouraging empowerment and inspiring pride in black heritage. Malcolm was a minister and national spokesman for the Nation of Islam. Malcolm's viewpoint and movement were popular in the communities of African Americans in the north and west of the U.S. who were tired of waiting for freedom. He and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. only met once and differed in their approaches to gaining civil rights. In 1965 Malcolm X was assassinated and King wrote a condolence letter to Betty Shabazz, Malcolm's widow, saying, “While we did not always see eye to eye on methods to solve the race problem, I always had a deep affection for Malcolm and felt that he had a great ability to put his finger on the existence and root of the problem."
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Important mentions in the Mountaintop An African American revolutionary party founded in 1966 in Oakland, California by Huey Newton and Bobby Seale. Black Panthers
Mr. Payne was a 16-year-old boy killed by Patrolman LD Jones during a march in support of the memphis sanitation strike on March 28, 1968.
Jesse Jackson
Larry Payne
Leader of the civil rights movement. Ran for president twice and served as a shadow U.S. senator for the district of Columbia
Leader of the civil rights movement and close friend to MLK
Ralph Abernathy
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Important mentions in the Mountaintop
Assassination
Coretta King received a letter that was unsigned but believed to be from J Edgar Hoover's FBI. The letter included claims that Dr. King had been unfaithful to his wife. It listed women with who he had relations. The letter concluded with "there is only one thing left for you to do... You know what it is." The letter was sent to Dr. King as a scare tactic to push him out of his leadership position.
Dr. King was assassinated on the evening of April 4, 1968. James Earl Ray was convicted of the crime and died in prison on April 23, 1998. The King family and others have expressed their beliefs on how the assassination involved the U.S. government and Ray was used as a scapegoat. Dr. King was in Memphis for the Sanitation workers' strike, when his plane was grounded due to a bomb threat. He still found a way to give his speech that day, known as "I've Been to the Mountaintop."
Infidelity
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The Mountaintop begins with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. returning to his motel after a sermon where he gave the speech, "I've Been To The Mountaintop." Dr. King sends a friend to get him cigarettes, which leaves him alone in his motel room. To pass the time he orders room service which brings him to Camae, a mysterious and beautiful maid. They begin to talk and this progresses throughout the night until they talk about Dr. King's hopes and fears. Through this conversation, they form a connection/trust between one another. This connection reveals the real reason Camae walked into Dr. Martin Luther King Jr's motel room.
Summary
It is revealed that Camae is an angel sent by God to collect Dr. King and bring him to heaven. She tells him his fate, that tomorrow he will die by being assassinated. This forces Dr. King to confront his fears and begs Camae to change his fate; he explains he can't go now because he has too much left to do within the Civil Rights Movement. Camae explains that his legacy and the "baton" will be passed on to someone else to continue doing the work he holds so dear to his heart. Still, in denial, Dr. King pleads to Camae to call God so that he can have an opportunity to change his fate. By the end of his call with God, Dr. King realizes his fate is sealed. He asks Camae one last time to show him the legacy he will leave behind. His final act in the show is to pass the "baton" to whomever will continue his fight.
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Pre-Show Discussion
Religion
Important Themes
One of the many motivations of Dr. King's life's work in the civil rights movement was the connection he had to his religion. He believed that all children were children of God no matter their race, sexuality, etc. How does religion influence your life?
Pre-Show Discussion
Answer these questions as a class
Love vs. Hate Love and hate illicit very similar emotions/responses. Dr. King offered love to every individual that came his way, and that caused him to receive a tremendous amount of hate. Knowing Dr. King's story, which wins in the end? Love or hate?
ELA.6.R.1.1, ELA.6.R.1.2
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Pre-Show Activity Objective: Watch and Discuss Section "I've Been to the Mountaintop" Speech. Materials: "Martin Luther King's Last Speech: I've Been to the Mountaintop" Video
Directions: Search on YouTube, "Martin Luther King's Last Speech: I've Been to the Mountaintop" timestamp is 3:27. Discuss Afterwards
Questions for Discussion: This was Dr. King's last speech before he was killed. knowing that information, how does that change your perspective on the speech? What resonated with you from this clip? What does "Ive been to the Mountaintop" mean to you?
LAFS.68.RH.3.8, LAFS.68.RH.2.6, LAFS.68.RH.1.2, LAFS.6.SL.1.2
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Game Time In-Class Activity
One-Word Speech (story) This is a theatre game called "One-Word Story"
Directions 1. Assemble class into a circle. 2. Teacher will start the "story/speech" with one sentence. Ex: "Once upon a time... 3. Moving clockwise around the circle, each student will continue the story by adding one word. 4. This will repeat throughout the circle until the story feels finished.
Group Circle Further Discussion about Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Directions 1. Assemble class into a circle. 2. Ask students, "What impact has MLK had on your life?" 3. Let the question take the class into further discussion about MLK.
TH.68.F.1.2,
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Post Show Discussion Forgiveness & Fear
Forgiveness Would Dr. King have forgiven his killer? Which character traits of MLK led you to your answer?
Fear One of Hall's many objectives in writing The Mountaintop was to humanize Dr. King. Hall explains that fear is what makes us all human. What happens when people succumb to their fears? What would have happened if MLK would have succumbed to his fears?
LAFS.6.SL.1.2, ELA.6.R.1.1, ELA.6.R.1.2, TH.68.C.2.4
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Post-Show Activity Materials: Piece of Paper Writing Utensil Directions: Dr. King Left an incredible legacy behind him. Think of your future and how you would want to be remembered. Next take out your piece of paper and in a sentence describe what you would want people to say about you when you're gone. Share the reason behind your sentence with classmates.
LAFS.6.SL.1.2, TH.68.H.1.2,
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This guide was graciously supported by The Walt Disney World Resort
Find out more about our upcoming events! Visit our official website at https://www.gardentheatre.org
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