Washington Post - Somewhat Recommended
"...The playwright by no means offers a sanitized portrait here, though it is a generous and forgiving one; she informs us at one point that King's admirers extend far beyond the mortal realm. With the trimming of naughty words and other manifestations of King's earthy proclivities, in fact, "The Mountaintop" might prove suitable for mounting at the site of his national memorial. It might even feel worthier at the granite knees of his likeness than it does in a theater."
DC Theater Arts - Highly Recommended
"...This play by young Katori Hall combines a depiction of events which we know actually took place - Martin Luther King spent the last night of his life in a motel room that opened on the covered walkway where he would die the next day - with a depiction of events that probably didn't happen but seem plausible - he spent a portion of that last night flirting with a pretty woman who brought coffee to his room - and also with an implausible component that the actors and the staging make us swallow absolutely."
Washington Examiner - Recommended
"...The last portion of "The Mountaintop" transforms itself, becoming a blast of transcendental reality for King and Camae. That segment is followed by a rapid-fire historical tribute in music (sound design by Lindsay Jones) and visuals (projections by Jeff Sugg) depicting the post-King world. It is jarring, stunning and a fitting conclusion to a sensitive and moving play."
WeLoveDC - Recommended
"...It is hard for us to imagine great leaders as people just like us. We assume that their greatness has been bestowed from above, blessed with the perfect set of abilities to change the world. Hall aims to prove that King was just a man like the rest of us, but we too have the ability to create change in this world just like he did."
Talkin Broadway - Somewhat Recommended
"...In The Mountaintop, receiving its Washington area premiere at Arena Stage's Kreeger Theater, playwright Katori Hall presents the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. as a flawed human being rather than the popular conception of a martyred saint. She succeeds in this aim as far as it goes, but the play is not a total success."
ShowBizRadio - Highly Recommended
"...As someone who lived through the great days of the Civil Rights Movement, and the inspiration that Martin Luther King and others, warts and all, provided to the nation, I find it impossible not to be moved by the material of this play, warts and all. But it is even more moving to read or listen to King's own words, which carry his vision and humanity more effectively than anything the rest of us can say."
Washington Informer - Highly Recommended
"...In the opening minutes of "The Mountaintop," playing at Arena Stage's Kreeger Theater, one could easily become defensive about the portrayal of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., as viewed through playwright Katori Hall's lens. But as the play progresses, the subtle nuances that present the iconic and deeply revered preacher as human, capable of frailties that go along with humanity, come forth and not only redeem the production, but elevate it to the heights of greatness."
MD Theatre Guide - Highly Recommended
"...On April 4, 1968 the world lost one of its greatest voices for civil rights. It was Martin Luther King Jr., and Katori Hall's play, The Mountaintop, now playing at Arena Stage takes us inside Room 306 at the Lorraine Motel the night before King's assassination. There we find King (Bowman Wright) working on his next speech. He orders some coffee and it is delivered by a maid named Camae (Joaquina Kalukango) who is just starting her new job. King is paranoid about his room being bugged and thinks Camae was sent as a trick so he would be caught with another woman, which is quite the opposite of the truth. That is the basic story and for more I highly urge you to go see the play to find out what happens."
DCTheatreScene - Recommended
he Mountaintop is a powerful, rousing show that brings audiences to their feet despite being a tad emotionally manipulative. The next day, however, the play feels more like a thin, wasted opportunity to explore the life and legacy of one of the most iconic figures in the twentieth century.