The 7:30 PM reading is presented as part of the 29th Annual William Inge Theatre Festival held in Independence, KS, where Hall will receive the Festival's Otis Guernsey New Voices Playwriting Award.
The Mountaintop, according to press notes, "takes place in Memphis, Tenn., April 3, 1968. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., has returned to the Lorraine Motel after delivering his stirring speech 'I've Been to the Mountaintop' to a church congregation. In an imagined scenario, Dr. King encounters a hotel maid, whose identity is puzzling, which leads him to confront his past and his legacy."
The Mountaintop most recently earned the Olivier Award for Best New Play. The work will arrive on Broadway this fall under the direction of Kenny Leon.
Anika Noni Rose earned a Tony Award for her performance in Caroline, or Change. She starred as Lorrelle Robinson in the film version of the musical Dreamgirls and lent her voice to the Disney animated feature "The Princess and the Frog." She also appeared in the Broadway revival of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof and HBO's "The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency."
The William Inge Theatre Festival is held at the playwright's alma mater, the Independence Community College. For more information on the Inge Festival and other Inge Center activities, contact (800) 842-6063, ext. 5491 or visit IngeCenter.
