Local Arts: The Mountaintop comes to Persephone Theatre at the right time
From left: Director Dian Marie Bridge, Matthew Kabwe (Martin Luther King Jr.) and Emerjade Simms (Camae) during rehearsal for The Mountaintop at Persephone Theatre. PHOTO BY OLIVIA SWERHONE-WICK /Supplied photo
“The lovely thing about this play is it’s full of humour and jokes and personality.”
Jocelyn Bennett Publishing date: Jan 27, 2022
Director Dian Marie Bridge says this is a good time to present The Mountaintop, a play about Martin Luther King Jr. written by African-American playwright Katori Hall.
“I’m absolutely thrilled to actually be part of this project at this time. Especially now, two years past the resurgence of the BLM (Black Lives Matter) movement. It really feels like it’s timely and that people actually have a different ear — people are listening differently … So, it’s exciting to be part of that and to do it through art,” she said.
With productions staged all over North America since its publication in 2011, The Mountaintop hits Persephone Theatre on Feb. 2.
A lot of the cast and creative team for this play, including Bridge, have come from out of town and are new to Persephone Theatre. This is a significant opportunity for them, Bridge said.
“Just the understanding that we — especially People of Colour, actors of colour, creatives of colour — don’t have to be relegated just to the major urban centres … With the new artistic leadership here, I think it’s opening up opportunities for people to travel and to work in other places.”
