The teacher in Roy Lewis came out when working with two young actors for the Augusta Junior Players production of “The Mountaintop.” He often assigned them homework.
“There were a lot of references I told them to go ‘google,’” said Lewis, who taught at Harlem High School and the Academy of Richmond County.
“The Mountaintop” is a fictional account of what might have happened the night before Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was killed in 1968.
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To help the two teens in this drama understand the references in the play, Lewis has had them look up Ralph David Abernathy, the Stonewall Riots and Bob Marley’s “Redemption.”
Winner of the 2010 Olivier Award for new play, “The Mountaintop” starred Samuel L. Jackson and Angela Bassett when it appeared on Broadway.
Katori Hall, a native of Memphis, Tenn., wrote the play about a chance meeting between King and a hotel maid who isn’t all she seems. The play takes place in Room 306 of the Lorraine Hotel in Memphis.
“There are some funny moments, but there are some powerful ones too,” said Lewis.
The Augusta Junior Players production features Darrick Brown, a Thomson High school senior, as King, and Chrya Strong, a Thomson High School sophomore, as Camae.
There’s a lot of hard-hitting dialogue in this production, so it’s more appropriate for teens, Lewis said.
The name of the play comes from a speech King gave on the night the play is set.
On April 3, King spoke at the Bishop Charles Mason Temple in Memphis and gave his final speech known as the “Mountaintop Speech,” according to Britannica.com.
King was ill that night. He’d sent Abernathy to speak instead of him. When Abernathy arrived, he found the church full and called King to come. King’s words were adlibbed but stirring.
Toward the end of his speech, he said, “We’ve got some difficult days ahead. But it really doesn’t matter with me now because I’ve been to the mountaintop. And I don’t mind. Like anybody, I would like to live a long life. Longevity has its place. But I’m not concerned about that now. I just want to do God’s will. And He’s allowed me to go up to the mountain. And I’ve looked over. And I’ve seen the promised land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight, that we, as a people will get to the Promised Land.”
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In the play, the conversations King has with Camae also deal with his death and what he’s been feeling.
Lewis said the play is moving and thought-provoking, but he hopes people will have more than their thoughts provoked. He hopes people will take a stand against social injustice.
“I think we’re all called to a higher calling. I challenge myself to a higher calling to understand the world in which I live. I want to challenge myself first, and then challenge those around me,” he said.
Because of COVID-19 restrictions, “The Mountaintop” has been recorded and will be streamed at 2 p.m. Feb. 20 and at 2 and 7 p.m. Feb. 21. Tickets are $15. For tickets, visit https://secure.givelively.org/event/augusta-players-inc/the-mountaintop-by-katori-hall.
Charmain Z. Brackett is the Features Editor for The Augusta Press. Reach her at charmain@theaugustapress.com
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