San Diego REPertory Theatre’s mission statement, in part, says that they are dedicated to producing intimate and provocative work that nourishes progressive, political and social values, which in turn feeds the curious soul.  That said, the current production of “The Mountaintop”, written by Katori Hall, and deftly directed by Roger Guenveur Smith, is right on the money.

It’s a talky two-character exploration leading up to of the last day in the life of Martin Luther King Jr, as imagined by playwright Hall.  It’s full of metaphors and allegories, and somewhat biblical, at times, but it has a lot say to those that listen.

The setting is the Lorraine motel in Memphis Tennessee, in 1968.  It’s the night of April 3rd, the day before Dr. King’s assassination.  Alone and just trying to relax after delivering his emotional “I’ve Been to the Mountaintop” speech, he calls Room Service for some coffee.

A knock at the door reveals the Room Service maid, Camae (wonderfully played by Danielle Mone-Truitt) who catches the eye and the interest of Dr. King (solidly played by Larry Bates.  Bates doesn’t attempt to do an exact impersonation of King’s sonorous deep orator voice, and/or other personal attributes.  Bates, to his credit, just digs in and delivers a human MLK, warts and all.  It’s an intelligent and sensitive performance.

It’s not easy to portray iconic public figures.  How much of the acknowledged biography does one include and still deliver an objective, convincing performance?  Fortunately for the audience, Bates solves that dilemma with help from playwright Hall.

 The flashier part in this two-character dramedy, however, belongs to Ms. Mone-Truitt, as Camae, a beautiful motel employee, with long legs and sparkling doe-like eyes, who has the vernacular of a street-smart, sassy lassie, down pat.  Her performance is a finely judged and highly nuanced little gem, and it’s dripping with sexuality.  But wait.  There is another dimension to Camae’s character, which comes later in the play, and it comes with a stunning revelation.  Did you know that … No, I won’t spoil this provocative play which will make you laugh, make you cry, and make you think, and hopefully, make you see things in a different light.

 Hall’s imagined story replete with metaphors, mystery, light comedy moments, and perhaps a little burnishing of images, none-the-less, is framed as a theatrical experience (it’s performed without an intermission).  And if one accepts the combining of theatrical rituals and the power of oral histories and myths to tell a story of a four hundred year history of black life in America – without sugar coating its message for white folks – then the journey is well worth the time.

There is a heck of a lot of intriguing black/white history and resentment simmering just beneath the surface of the play’s dialogue, and believe me there’s plenty of food for thought to digest on that subject.  However, the key to fully understand and appreciate the production, in my opinion, lies in its sub-text.  Playwright Hall is an emerging creative storyteller to keep one’s eye on in the future.

The technical credits by Guenveur Smith’s creative team are solid.  Led by Scenic Designer Christopher Ward who provides a spare but functional motel space, along with a Lighting Design by Sherrice Kelley, plus an all-encompassing sound and creative projection designs (including thunder and lightning) by Marc Anthony Thompson are first-rate.

I’m a huge fan of the late, great, August Wilson and his take on the African American experience in Pittsburgh, PA.  True, Hall is no August Wilson yet, but she is off to a great start in her West Coast premiere of “The Mountaintop”.   It’s been a long time since I’ve been able to feel and understand a culture different from my own.  Hall’s decision to use and weave a great public figure like Dr. King into her story, as a character, was an inspired choice.  It’s been said that when ordinary people have greatness thrust upon them, the truly great ones respond in kind.  Dr. King was only thirty-nine years old at the time of his death.  But his legacy of non-violence in the quest for racial equality in America lives on.

“The Mountaintop” runs at San Diego REP on the Lyceum stage through March 31, 2013.   Don’t miss it!

Newswise — CHICAGO — From dyeing the Chicago River green to the annual parade in Boston, St. Patrick’s Day has become an American tradition where everyone is Irish. However, these annual March celebrations were born from the painful experiences of early Irish immigrants, many of whom were Catholic.

“Irish immigrants to America had a very difficult story in the 19th and early 20th century,” said Mary McCain, Irish studies instructor at DePaul University in Chicago.

“Even as far back as the American Revolution, Catholics were viewed with deep suspicion, especially because the Catholic Church is not a democracy,” McCain explained. “In addition, most Irish immigrants were poor. Having grown up on farms, most did not have skills that translated to the large urban areas they were migrating to.”

McCain noted that Irish immigrants began holding parades on St. Patrick’s Day as a celebration of their culture and a rallying cry for fellow immigrants.

“These early immigrants, by having their parades, were saying, ‘We’re here, we’re staying and we’re going to make our way in this country,’” McCain said. “Jump to 2013 and we see people wearing buttons saying ‘Kiss me, I’m Irish.’ Being Irish has become something to celebrate. It’s a great American story.”

Irish roots of American tradition

In a strange turn of events, St. Patrick’s Day celebrations in Ireland have been influenced by those in the U.S. St. Patrick’s Day has long been a public holiday in Ireland, but was traditionally a much quieter affair.

“Families would get together for a meal, many attended mass, and that was the extent of it,” McCain said. “The new Irish Free State had military parades on March 17 starting in the 1920s, but it’s only been in the last 20 years or so that it’s become the ‘St. Patrick’s Day Festival,’ a multi-day event more along the lines of our big cities’ celebrations here in the U.S. In fact, most of the publicly festive traditions were imported from and heavily influenced by big cities in the United States.”

Who was St. Patrick?

St. Patrick’s Day is marked on March 17 to commemorate the anniversary of St. Patrick’s death.

“St. Patrick played a huge role in spreading Christianity to Ireland in the 5th century,” said McCain, an instructor of history, Catholic studies and religious studies in the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences at DePaul. “Christianity reached Ireland pretty early on, and while St. Patrick was probably not the first Christian to set foot on Ireland’s shores, he was definitely the most influential of his period and was a very passionate missionary.”

McCain noted that St. Patrick was actually not from Ireland, but was brought there against his will as a child. At the age of 16 he was taken into slavery. He escaped six years later and went to Britain, which some historians have identified as his birthplace. As an adult, Patrick joined the priesthood.

“One day he claimed to have had a vision in which he received letters from people he recognized as Irish,” McCain noted. “The letters told him ‘Young man, come and walk amongst us once more,’ which Patrick felt was a call to return to Ireland to spread Christ to the pagans living there.”

About those snakes

To explain the absence of snakes in Ireland, it became legend that they had all been banished by St. Patrick. In one version of the story, St. Patrick chased all of Ireland’s snakes into the sea after they attacked him during a 40-day fast he was undertaking on top of a hill.

“In reality, it was evolution that prevented snakes from coming to Ireland,” McCain explained. “By the time snakes had come along – and they do exist in England – Ireland was already separated by the ocean.”

However, this myth has slid so deeply into the public consciousness that many prominent images portray St. Patrick wearing his bishop’s outfit and stepping on the head of a snake.

“It makes sense for people to create stories for things they do not understand – such as the lack of snakes in Ireland,” McCain said. “This is one of those stories that, while not factually true, tells us a lot about how St. Patrick is remembered. The snake is often a symbol of bad things, and may symbolize the old, misguided ways of the Irish people before the ray of truth (St. Patrick) came in and drove the darkness (snakes) into the sea.”

The Musical Fable “Gypsy” is already wowing audiences and critics alike at Theatre 29. The show, called “The greatest American Musical” opened March 8 for a five week run weekends through April 6th. The first two performances saw sold-out audiences jumping to their feet for spontaneous standing ovations.

Set in the late 1920’s, “Gypsy” is based on the memoirs of famed burlesque performer Gypsy Rose Lee. It tells the story of her ambitious and driven stage mother Mama Rose as she tries every trick in the book to further her daughter June’s stage career. The play follows their ups and downs as they travel around the country pursuing their vaudeville dreams, even as the “talkies and burlesque are causing the death of vaudeville.” A surprise ending brings us to the beginning of Lee’s burlesque career.

The Musical, directed by Gary Daigneault with musical direction by Ed Will and Choreography by Mandi Pushkar, features familiar favorite Broadway hits such as, “Let Me Entertain You,” “Some People,” “You’ll Never Get Away from Me,” “If Momma Was Married,” “All I Need Is the Girl,” “Everything’s Coming Up Roses,” “You Gotta Get A Gimmick” and “Together Wherever We Go.”

A relative newcomer to the Morongo Basin stage, Analisa Pilecki, brings a high level of performance talent to the lead role of Mama Rose with a nuanced representation of the “ultimate stage mother” and a powerful voice that brings new life to Jule Styne’s music and Stephen Sondheim’s lyrics. Pilecki studied Musical Theater at the American Musical and Dramatic Academy and worked off-Broadway in New York City. This is her second show at Theatre 29, having been previously seen in last years “Anne of Green Gables”.

“Gypsy” will run through April 6. Performances are at 7:00 pm on Friday and Saturday nights. A Sunday Matinee will be offered at 2:30 pm on March 24th. “Gypsy” has some mature themes and is not recommended for children under 12. Tickets for “Gypsy” are $8 to $12 and are available online at <http://www.theatre29.org/>www.theatre29.org or by calling the Theatre 29 Box Office at 760-361-4151.