"It seems that no one can agree on who the real MLK was. In the 58 years since his assassination, the late Dr. King has been wanted by the FBI and lauded on FBI social media accounts every January. He's a hero to many, a weak-willed pacifist to some and a radical instigator to others. His name is frequently evoked by conservative pundits, despite King calling rioting the language of the unheard."
"Hall's controversial script tries to strip away the idealized MLK in favor of a flawed chain-smoker with the world's largest chip on his shoulder. He appears sincere in his convictions, but is shameless in his vices. He's a smart man with wandering eye, but only shows the former. We find this King (played by William Thomas Hodgson, company co-artistic director) in Room 306 of the Lorraine Hotel on April 3, 1968."
"He doesn't know everything will change tomorrow, he's justtrying to finish his speech to the striking sanitation workers. Tired from travel, he's eager for coffee; room service sends it to him via waitress Camae (Sam Jackson). He catches her attention because he's famous; she catches his for other reasons. Suddenly, the good reverend is willing to pause his work to talk with the pretty woman who walked through the rain. She's surprised to see the man behind the headlines."
Martin Luther King Jr. is portrayed as a flawed, chain-smoking man with sincere convictions and shameless vices. The portrayal emphasizes fatigue, human frailty, and private desires alongside public moral authority. The setting is Room 306 of the Lorraine Hotel on April 3, 1968, moments before the assassination. A waitress named Camae brings coffee and engages him in a revealing conversation that exposes unexpected chemistry and ambiguity. The portrayal intentionally strips away idealization, generating controversy by taking liberal artistic license with King's personality and presenting him as resentful toward Malcolm X.
Read at www.mercurynews.com
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]