The Mountaintop

We’ve all seen the different narratives and adaptations of the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. throughout our lives; “Our Friend Martin,” “Selma,” “Selma, Lord Selma,” season 1 ep. 9 of “The Boondocks,” etc... All of these have been historically critical to the importance of passing down his legacy (or in the case of Aaron McGruder, a dramatized and comical take on what could've been his realistic response to the world as it is today), but no story has captured the nature of King as a man like “The Mountaintop.” The legacy of Dr. King is one of the most impactful pieces of America’s history without saying; nearly 60 years after his death, men like County Executive David Crowley are able to be recognized on opening night with the “Mountaintop Legacy Award” for perpetuating the very character and vision that compelled Dr. King to carry on in his mission, in our very own city. However, only a fresh perspective can provoke new respect for the journey of a leader; A human journey. Prior to making a special appearance on their “Legacy Night” showcase later on in this month, Milwaukee Chamber Theater saved us some seats for opening night as well where I sat a row or two in front of Director Dimonte Henning who was finally able to marvel at the fruition of this vision for the first time after taking on the script. I caught up with him right after the show..

CW: “What I really want to know is how you came to get your hands on a script like that, because when I came into the theater, I didn't expect the story to be told that way. So what made you wanna take on that narrative?”

DH: “You know what, I'm at a point where I like to tell stories that mean something to me. If it doesn't mean anything to me-, I can't put myself and my creativity into a space where it doesn't mean anything. So, Dr. King's story-, it means so much to have it told in this way; this reimagined depiction of the last night that he was alive. I felt like I needed to tell this story and I needed to find the right actors, the right designer team to help uplift this story. And so, Bryant [Bentley], he reached out to me. He [asked me] do I wanna direct this? I said ‘absolutely, yes.’ It's been a long time coming. Bryant first approached me about this show 2 years ago, so to be here on opening night with the audience, to see the vision come to life, is a gift, it's a treat, it's a gift from God and I don't take that for granted. It's because the story means something to me.”

With the deliberate use of only the 2 actors on stage for the entirety of the story in a single setting, a Memphis motel room, and the size of Milwaukee Chamber’s theater room contributing to the intimate atmosphere, there was no escaping the raw humanity and chaotic rollercoaster of morale in the writing and its display in the genius and dedication of the actors, on and off stage. Henning shares as a lover of history that the details of this depiction were taken from fact and research, bringing real life to this dramatization. 

DH: … I'm sure that he didn't interact with the maid how he does in this play, but there are a lot of historical moments and facts brought into the play… One thing that really impacted me was the night that he did the “I Have a Dream” speech, the FBI listed him as the ‘Most Dangerous Man in America,’ and I was just like, wow! How is that possible? This man who just brought all of these people together is now listed as a dangerous man in America..and we all know why that is, but just understanding who he ws as a man and, giving it to Bryant Bentley who played Dr. King, we had a lot of conversations. We spent our first week of rehearsal-, we have 3 weeks of rehearsal-, We spent our first week just talking about ‘what is this play about? What story do we want to tell? What is the relationship between Dr. King and Camae? Who are these people?’... “The foundation of all of my work is authenticity. If it's not authentic, then the audience is gonna see right through it, so it has to be authentic:..:  finding the truth in these characters. And then we did intimacy work. Our intimacy director, KaiLee Evans, came in and she worked with both of our actors. They go through a process every night. They have an opening process as soon as they get here. Then, they have a close out where they just connect and talk with each other and make sure that they are on the same page. There's some intimate moments where they get physical with each other, and it's important because you wanna keep the actors safe…because it's just them two on stage… If you mess up that relationship off stage, it may bleed on stage. So we just wanna be sure that they're safe, so that's where that came from.”

The Mountaintop by Katori Hall will be showing at the Milwaukee Chamber Theater until March 24th. The CopyWrite fam will be present on March 22nd as guest hosts for one of the last showings of this marvelous story in celebration of black excellence. We hope to see some of you there!

/CW Naomi-Re’a 

You are invited to LEGACY NIGHT @ The Milwaukee Chamber Theater | Hosted by CopyWrite Mag

BLACK PEOPLE IT IS TIME TO TAKE UP SPACE!

INFO FROM OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS AT MCT

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We invite Black and African American community members to join us for Legacy Night on March 22 at 7:30 pm, a special performance of THE MOUNTAINTOP by Katori Hall hosted by CopyWrite Magazine [THATS US!] dedicated to and celebrating the Black community.

What is Legacy Night?

The intention behind this event is to purposefully create an environment in which a Black audience can experience and discuss this play about a Black leader, created and performed by Black artists, in a space that celebrates the Black Community and centers their perspectives.

Legacy Night is inspired by a similar event created in 2019 by actor and playwright Jeremy O. Harris, where for the first time ever, every seat in Broadway’s Golden Theatre was occupied by Black audience members. We're calling this special performance Legacy Night not only because legacy is one of the major themes within THE MOUNTAINTOP but also to honor and celebrate our Black and African American community and the legacy we hope to create together in Milwaukee. 

What if I'm not Black or African American?

We encourage our non-Black audience members to join us in honoring this initiative by choosing to experience the play at another performance.

We thank you in advance for supporting these artists and MCT as we facilitate an opportunity for a community to come together to enjoy this special event. 

Ticket Options

Legacy Night Tickets are $20 (plus sales tax and box office fees).

Purchase Online

You can purchase tickets online by clicking the button below and using the code LEGACY. You will need to enter the code in the "Promo Code" box at the top right corner of the Broadway Theatre Center ticketing page and click submit before you try to select the date. The Legacy Night performance will not show up until you have submitted code LEGACY.

The Mountaintop Legacy Award | Honoring Milwaukee Change-Makers

Art by Mikal Floyd-Pruitt

Milwaukee Chamber Theatre is thrilled to share with its community Pulitzer Prize-winner Katori Hall’s celebrated stage play THE MOUNTAINTOP, an inspiring reimagining of the final night of the life of legendary Civil Rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. On April 3rd, 1968, after delivering one of his most memorable speeches, Dr. King retires to his room at the Lorraine Motel, where a mysterious stranger forces him to confront his destiny and legacy. A classic of the modern theater that in humanizing Dr. King suggests that we all have within us the power to be the change we wish to see in the world, THE MOUNTAINTOP will be directed by acclaimed Milwaukee theater artist Dimonte Henning. 

In keeping with its larger mission of bringing its community closer together while celebrating what makes Milwaukee great, and in partnership with CopyWrite Magazine, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Center, and Zao MKE Church, MCT will highlight Black excellence in Milwaukee during the run of THE MOUNTAINTOP through the Mountaintop Legacy Award. MCT will recognize at each MOUNTAINTOP performance one Milwaukee difference-maker who exemplifies the ideals of unity, equity, and locally led movements highlighted by Dr. King in his final speech, commonly referred to as “The Mountaintop Speech.”

Mountaintop Legacy Award recipients will be selected by a panel of MCT artists and community partners from nominations by the public of individuals who best exemplify Dr. King’s ideals across sectors including but not limited to political, nonprofit, business, educational, art, and tech.  

[INFO PROVIDED BY /CW COMMUNITY PARTNERS AT MCT]

A Moon for the Misbegotten | Snap Shot Press Release

“I don’t know what to think!”

It’s not a phrase I utter often [nor do I appreciate sentiments of equivocalness as a posture of perspective]. However, the phrase was the only thing that could come to my mind as the Sunday, January 21st, 2024 showing of Eugen O’Neill’s, A Moon for the Misbegotten, ended at the Milwaukee Chamber Theater.

In an effort to unpack my thoughts I had to confront my entry point into the play [the casting of La Shawn Banks as James Tyrone, Jr] and the thematic subtleties that would allow me to see past the rickety porch and vastness of “desolate Connecticut”. 

All images provided by MCT shot by Micheal Brosilow

The intimate glimpse into the periphery of society as a note of unideal existence is something that this revival of A Moon for the Misbegotten does well. A father whose drunkenness drives his sons away [Phil Hogan played by James Pickering], a daughter who uses her sharp tongue to avoid the pain of her insecurities while picking up the slack for her patriarch [Josie Hogan played by Kelly Doherty], and the thorn of socioeconomics in its human form as T. Steadman Harder [played by Zach Thomas Woods] gripes about his fence and ice pond when his neighbors live in subpar conditions. But Mike Hogan [played by A.J. Magoon] escaping without confronting his father is something I wish O’Niell had the foresight to correct. It denotes the subservience of a woman in society, as a nurturer of those who don't deserve to be nurtured. As sure as she robbed her father to free her brother of his suffering she does not enact her own freedom.

 [I hated that for her]

But that nuance of perspective coming from this 21st century feminist [YES I AM!] was minimal, noting that her love interest as a “foul” mouthed Irish woman was with a Black man. Now as plausible as it would have been for James Tyrone, Jr. to be an African American landowner and actor in the 1920’s, there would obviously be social scrutiny for Josie and James to be together no matter how many demons they both have collectively. Where the role was not originally written to cast a person of color, I applaud the selection because Bank’s portrayal was quite believable. His cityslicker slyness with overly emotional tendencies [it was giving an actor playing a person who is definitely an actor] was spot on. But I could only predict it would never work out. I could never really see even the alcoholc-ist of alcoholics encouraging their daughter to be with someone he knows could never maintain her publicly. Not even the ploy to get his money seemed reasonable because once they were seen together would that not be a social provision for violence in that time? It's rough because as a multiracial Black woman with Irish roots, I know how I got here [and it wasn't cute]. 

Similarly the whisky wagon never left the stage! The highs and lows of an alcoholic binge is always unsettling. The way Phil and James were throwing them back you couldn't be sure where their thoughts were coming from and if they had any control over their narcissistic behavior. And why should they when the bosom of Josie will be there waiting to care for them [Again, I hate that for her]? Even in her hope for something more with James, her agency was taken when he chastises her for saying she had been “around the way” with other men, and him so certain that it was fib [So men can do it but women can’t? Tuh! It’s given misogyny]. To then turn around and be all out of sorts for doing up a sex worker [repeatedly] on the train while bringing home is mothers dead body!?! If Mr. Tyrone was looking for sympathy, he could definitely look past me [If you like “city girls” just say that!] But again, as I analyzed what I had experienced take place on that stage, I could only imagine my father who suffered from alcoholism throughout his life and his womanizing tendencies. Could he have ever showed up to some ladies doorstep begging for comfort as an illusion of humility? Unfortunately, I will never know. 

The highs and lows of James’ drunken lust for Josie, cloaked with his attempt to “maintain” her chastity was too much for me. Make up your mind sir! Push her away from you one more time and its borderline domestic violence. The way her belligerent father was trying to get her in the bed with his drinking buddy and landlord for a few coins is wild [Pickering made me despise Phil Hogan]. I mean here is a man with no shame whatsoever. And yikes Josie! Grow a backbone! That self-deprivation got her nowhere but loveless, sexless, and moneyless [forget a drama, that makes it a tragedy]. She talks down on herself, she lets everyone in her life take advantage of her, and she is stuck. Stuck on that porch looking for something that you can only find inside of yourself. The way Doherty invited torture to her existence in this role showed commitment. There was no ego to bear and no diva to deliver in the shell of a woman that was left of Josie at the end.

What does this say about humanity? What does this say about a society that still feels O’Neill’s narrative should be shared?

I think it says we are flawed. I think it is a reminder that comfort is a luxury many can not afford. It says we have more to learn about why we break and what breaks us. I also think it says that the theater is a place to feel discomfort as long as it interrogates the boundaries of societal niceties. 

I did not love A Moon for the Misbegotten. But I respected it. It challenged my empathy and sometimes you need that from art.

Sometimes you need to know what uncertainty feels like.  

Lexi S. Brunson 

Editor-in-Chief /CW

SnapShot Press Release: Laughs in Spanish [Gallery Life Off The Wall]

Nobodies documenting the Telenovela that is gallery life. 

You know the pretentious acting curators, the thirsty for stardom gallery assistants, and the notably irrational and irresponsible artist who would prefer to be on some remote island with a stiff drink, conjuring inspiration for their next big thing.

Ashley Oviedo, Isa Condo-Olvera, Jenna Bonofiglio, Arash Fakhrabadi, and Rána Roman [All Images provided by milwaukee chamber theater via Michael Brosilow]

Okay well maybe somebody is, but these idiosyncrasies void that this performance of art culture is an overtone of whiteness that fills gallery white walls, with white washed economics, and white narratives that are positioned to be “profound”. 

*Did she really just go there?*

Ohhhh, yes! I did!

The scene I just “painted” [See what I did there? Lol]  is one that can be drastically altered when considering how non-white bodies navigate these spaces. These bodies start to resemble people whose characteristics feel familiar, feel like friends, feel like family, and feel like voices I intimately knew existed but seldom get to hear.

Saturday's [September 23rd, 2023] opening night of Laughs In Spanish, by Alexis Scheer took me there. Giving the audience Miami realness with the complexities of the modern human experience including motherhood, divorce, pregnancy, abandonment issues, high off THC conversations, same-sex relationships, immigration, and a monologue by Rána Roman that had me totally reanalyzing my own journey into motherhood. Its scenic set design of gallery aesthetic with Miami glam by Em Allen, had my critical “interior designer by trade” mind fangirling on that vibey beach air balcony hidden behind those opaque white rolling walls. With DJ Palante giving the music vibes in the lobby, to a Latinx artist installation curated by Katie Avila Loughmiller, the tone was set before the show even began.  It truly brought me back to my last visit to Art Basel. [If you have never been, this play will inspire you to book that trip].

Labeled as a “crime comedy” [Yes, because stealing art from galleries is definitely a trope the world needs more of. Art is valuable, monetarily and culturally!] It cleverly uses its title as the punchline in an exchange of wisdom and remorse that is easy to share between strangers, when it should be saved for the people you love.  

How do you “laugh in Spanish”? 

¡JAJAJA! 

I died at the subtlety of that hilarious cultural exchange and felt warmth in knowing my upbringing had allowed me to understand [and have access] to the inside joke.

This again is a familiarity that Isa Condo-Olvera [Mariana] , Arash Fakhrabadi [Juan], Ashley Oviedo [Carolina], Rána Roman [Estella] and Jenna Bonofiglio [Jenny] provided by pulling at emotions through their characters that went beyond the surface.

Mariana reminded me of my mother; guarded and jaded by the world. But of course there is a reason why.

Juan was ready to risk it all for Carolina. [Love me like that or not at all] 

Jenny, is that voice of annoying reason that you really should listen to. [Don’t you hate it when they’re right?]

Carolina questioning her career for motherhood echoed by Estella’s choice to be ambitious to inspire her daughter but failing to hit the mark in Mariana's eyes is. . . me. 

Can I escape the narrative that a woman can’t do it all? Only time will tell.

Laughs In Spanish is a think piece. It’s “profound” without pretentiousness. It's relatable without stunting the growth and impact of Latinx culture. It is palatable because it is plausible. If you know you know and if you don’t, Alexa will understand you want to change the song the first time you ask. 

So if you need a little art in your life, consider looking away from the walls and feeling up a seat at the Milwaukee Chamber Theater.

Lexi S. Brunson for /CW

Milwaukee Chamber Theatre Presents THE ISLAND | April 8th-May 1st, 2022

*info provided by Nicole Acosta, Marketing Director
nicole@milwaukeechambertheatre.org
414-276-8842 ext. 4

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Milwaukee Chamber Theatre Presents 

THE ISLAND 

By Athol Fugard, John Kani, and Winston Ntshona,  

April 8th-May 1st, 2022 

Studio Theatre, Broadway Theatre Center 

MILWAUKEE, WI – April 5th, 2022 Milwaukee Chamber Theatre is proud to announce full casting and production details for THE ISLAND by Athol Fugard, John Kani, and Winston Ntshona, directed by Mikael Burke. THE ISLAND opens Saturday, April 9th at 8pm. Preview night is set for Friday, April 8th at 7:30pm. A Pay-What-You-Choose performance is scheduled for Monday, April 11th at 7:30pm. Tickets can be purchased via the MCT website, milwaukeechambertheatre.org/tickets or by calling 414-291-7800. 

Athol Fugard, John Kani, and Winston Ntshona’s THE ISLAND celebrates the depths of human resilience and offers a scathing indictment of the injustice of white supremacy. Inside a notorious maximum-security political prison, two cellmates toil at brutal hard labor by day and rehearse Sophocles’ ANTIGONE for a prison entertainment by night.  When one is unexpectedly granted his release, envy and empathy, triumph and loss, and hope and despair all collide in the concentrated atmosphere as they dig into a two-thousand-year-old play that explores every human’s moral obligation to defiance of unjust government.  After a critically acclaimed run in MCT’s 20/21 virtual season, this modern classic from some of South Africa’s most esteemed theater-makers is back by popular demand for a live in-person run.  

“Dimonte and Sherrick were the first two Wisconsin actors approved by Actors’ Equity Association to rehearse in-person last season when we created our virtual production of THE ISLAND,” shared Artistic Director Brent Hazelton. “It is our honor to close our 21-22 Season by sharing their work in this remarkably moving production with an in-person audience who is able to react, respond, and engage in the conversations this play sparks." 

THE ISLAND is Directed by Mikael Burke, with Composition and Sound Design by Peter Goode, Costume and Makeup Design by Amy Horst, Scenic and Properties Design by Stephen Hudson-Mairet, Lighting Design by Ellie Rabinowitz, Dialect Coaching by Nathan Crocker, Stage Management by Kira Neighbors, and ASM/COVID Safety Management by Sydney Smith. 

“THE ISLAND speaks to our current American moment as if it were written yesterday,” said Burke. “These two men, Winston and John, are sent to the Island to be broken, to have their spirits broken. And even under the most extreme circumstances, these men manage to hold on to their spirits and conviction, through the power of art and story.” 

THE ISLAND is presented by Executive Producers John Shannon and Jan Serr, and Producer J. Michael Reavis. 

TICKET INFORMATION 

THE ISLAND runs April 8-May 1, 2022, in The Studio Theatre located inside the Broadway Theatre Center. To purchase tickets, go to www.milwaukeechambertheatre.org/tickets , call 414-291-7800 or visit in person at 158 N. Broadway in the Historic Third Ward. For more information about MCT, the 21/22 season, how to purchase tickets, and how to donate can be found at www.milwaukeechambertheatre.org.  

TALKS AND EVENTS 

Pay What You Choose: April 11th 7:30pm 

Talk Theatre: April 20th 12pm 

TalkBacks: April 14, 21, and 28. All post-performance.  

For more information on talks go to  https://www.milwaukeechambertheatre.org/continuing-the-conversation. 

COVID AND ATTENDEE EXPERIENCE 

Beginning March 28, 2022 the Broadway Theatre Center will no longer require proof of vaccination for admittance to the facility. Milwaukee Chamber Theatre continues to require masks to be worn at all times while inside the Studio Theatre. This policy is in effect for THE ISLAND April 8 - May 1, 2022. For full details of our health and safety plan, go to https://www.milwaukeechambertheatre.org/safety 

ABOUT MILWAUKEE CHAMBER THEATRE  

Founded in 1975 by Montgomery Davis and Ruth Schudson, guided until 2020 by Michael Wright and Kirsten Finn, and now led by Brent Hazelton and Amy A. Salat, Milwaukee Chamber Theatre (MCT) partners with other arts organizations, community-based organizations, and universities to produce thought-provoking productions and innovative outreach programs on an intimate, human scale. As a leader in developing Milwaukee and Wisconsin’s theater community, MCT provides regular employment and a stable artistic home to local theatre professionals through a five-play subscription season, the Young Playwrights Festival (YPF), and the Montgomery Davis Play Development Series (MDPDS). MCT performs at the Broadway Theatre Center in Milwaukee’s Historic Third Ward and is a proud Member Group of the United Performing Arts Fund. For more information, to purchase tickets, or to make a donation please visit milwaukeechambertheatre.org.