"The Mountaintop"
Detroit Public Theatre
Detroit, Mich.
Through March 8, 2026
Many hail Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. as a legend. He was still a man struggling with the same flaws as the rest of us – fear, doubt, pride, vice and temptation. Katori Hall’s “The Mountaintop,” now playing at Detroit Public Theatre, explores the humanity behind the hero, the courage it takes to overcome one’s personal obstacles and knowing when to let go. The play premiered in 2009 and won the 2010 Olivier Award for Best New Play.
Directed by Brian Marable, the play is a comedic drama that reimagines what happens the night before King’s assassination. After arriving at his hotel room in Memphis during a thunderstorm, King (Brian Sullivan Taylor) struggles with the speech he’s planning to give the following day. He paces the room, checks it for bugs and finally calls room service for a late-night coffee. Minutes later, hotel maid Camae (Rebecca Rose Mims) arrives, bringing not only coffee but an increasingly enlightening conversation that offers King perspective and foresight to prepare him for what’s to come.
Taylor and Mims nail their roles with a playful, intense chemistry that brings out the deepest parts of both characters. Taylor captures the range of complex emotions King experiences throughout night. We seem him flirt, play, yell and have a full-on panic attack throughout the duration of the play, visibly tearing up on stage at times. While King’s persona was one of strength and courage, Taylor captures the Civil Rights activist’s most vulnerable parts with a constant throughline of fear – especially apparent during the play’s recurring thunderclaps (that made all of us jump too). He tells us when he wakes up with fear, he knows he’s still alive, and despite the constant risks to his life, he’s determined to go on and see his plans through.
Mims’ Camae was endearing and almost constantly hilarious. Her messages for King are important and urgent but delivered with a sharp, laid-back defiance that keeps his ego in check while slowly earning his trust to get him to accept what’s to come. She’s constantly full of surprises and is a delight to watch.
The title of the play references King’s “I've Been to the Mountaintop” speech delivered the day before his death – hours before the play is set. It also captures the goal one is working toward and the view of what’s below once you’ve arrived at that goal. The situation is complicated for King: Though he never fully realized his dream, the play gives him a glimpse at what’s to come – the good, the bad and the ugly.
Through a series of projections, we see glimpses of the future we’ve already lived through but now layered with King’s reactions. The projections are a barrage of major American and global figures, events and pop culture moments since his assassination – many of which directly affect the Black community. Images and references are made to Jesse Jackson, Oprah, Rodney King, OJ Simpson, Tupac and Clarence Thomas, as well as Aerosmith, Saddam Hussein, Osama bin Laden, and American presidents. The projections also include footage from the Vietnam War, 9/11, Hurricane Katrina, conflicts in the Middle East and other wars. A feeling of triumph near the final image of Barack Obama being elected president is soon dashed with a final image of Donald Trump’s presidency.
The play balances comedy, drama and heart. Moments of panic, fear and anger are spliced with quips, flirtations and a messy pillow fight, as well as a hilarious pleading phone call to God, who we learn is a Black woman. “The Mountaintop” reminds us of the limitations that come from being human. It also carries a message of hope that, despite these flaws, we are capable of greatness and change with courage, determination and humility.
