Kishia Nixon and Akeem Davis
(PHILADELPHIA, PA) -- Arden Theatre Company presents The Mountaintop, written by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Katori Hall, and directed by Barrymore Award-winning director Brett Ashley Robinson. Running October 30 through December 14, 2025 on the Arcadia Stage, the 90-minute reimagining of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s final night, invites audiences into a deeply intimate and human portrait of one of the most iconic leaders of the 20th century.
Set on April 3, 1968, The Mountaintop opens with Dr. King, played by Akeem Davis, returning to his room at the Lorraine Motel after delivering his historic “I’ve Been to the Mountaintop” speech. What begins as a quiet evening takes a turn when he encounters Camae, a mysterious maid played by Kishia Nixon. Over the course of the night, their conversations reveal the man beneath the iconic figure: the humor, doubts and humanity of someone wrestling with the weight of his calling and the legacy he will leave behind.
“The Mountaintop is a play that blends history and magical realism to imagine the last night of Martin Luther King Jr's life. It is a beautiful story of the private life of one of America's most public figures, and how he reckons with his own legacy, mortality, and the future of the United States,” says Director Brett Ashley Robinson. “Deeply funny, moving, and inspiring, The Mountaintop encourages audiences to dream of how to carry King's legacy forward.”
The two-person powerhouse play features Akeem Davis (Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.) and Kishia Nixon (Camae). Davis is well-known to Arden audiences for his roles in the Arden’s recent production of August Wilson’s King Hedley II (King Hedley), Intimate Apparel (George), and previously, The Lehman Trilogy (Mayer), August Wilson’s Gem of the Ocean (Citizen Barlow), A Streetcar Named Desire (Mitch) and A Doll’s House (Krogstad), for which he won the Barrymore Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor. Davis’ regional work includes roles at Philadelphia Theatre Company, The Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company, The Folger Theatre, Theatre Exile, Azuka Theatre, InterAct Theatre Company, People’s Light, Theatre Horizon, and Simpatico Theatre. He was also the recipient of the 2015 F. Otto Haas Award for Emerging Philadelphia Theatre Artist.
Kishia Nixon (Camae) has previously appeared at the Arden in the world premiere of Holy Grail of Memphis (Gigi Robbins), The BFG (The Big Friendly Giant) (Sam, Bonecruncher, Classmate, Sam Simkins) and Clyde’s (Letitia). Regionally, Nixon has appeared in roles at numerous theatres, including Theatre Exile, Delaware Theatre Company, Act II Playhouse, and the Lantern Theatre Company.
The production team includes Brett Ashley Robinson (Director), Gabe Moses (Assistant Director), Reiko Huffman (Scenic Designer), J. Dominic Chacon (Lighting Designer), Asaki Kuruma (Costume Designer), Elizabeth Atkinson (Sound Designer), Jorge Cousineau (Projection Designer) and Matthew Ryan Melchior (Stage Manager).
The Mountaintop begins previews on October 30, opens on November 5, and runs through December 14 on the Arcadia Stage. Single ticket prices vary by performance and start at $37. Tickets are available at ardentheatre.org, by phone at 215.922.1122, or at the box office at Arden Theatre Company (40 N. 2nd Street, Philadelphia, PA).
Special events and performances for The Mountaintop include:
* Pay-What-You-Choose Night with Urban Affairs Coalition | Wednesday, October 29 at 7:00pm. Join them for the final dress rehearsal performance with a pre-show reception including food and refreshments. All proceeds benefit Urban Affairs Coalition’s 42nd Annual Thanksgiving Basket Program that feeds 2,000 families this holiday season.
* Post-Show Talkback | Sunday, November 16 at 2:00pm and Thursday, December 11 at 7:00pm. Join a member of Arden’s artist team for post-show talkbacks.
* Teen Night | Saturday, November 8 at 7:00pm. $15 tickets and a post-show talkback for Teens 13 – 18 years old.
* Young Friends Night! | Thursday, December 4 at 7:00pm. Use code: YFARDEN for $30 tickets (Arden Young Friends is designed for audience members 40 and under and includes a pre-show networking event).
* Smart Caption Glasses | Starting Tuesday, November 11. Wearable, customizable Closed Captioning Glasses are available to reserve for performances.
Accessibility: The Arden is fully accessible to people with special needs and named a Keystone of Accessibility by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Resources available for families include assistive listening devices, sensory processing tools, smart caption glasses, large print programs and more.
Arden Theatre Company, founded in 1988, is a professional theatre company in Old City, dedicated to bringing to life great stories by great storytellers on the stage, in the classroom, and in the community. To date, the Arden has produced 46 World Premieres. The Arden has developed four distinct educational programs: Arden for All, our in-school arts education program for elementary level students; Arden Drama School, their on-site, tuition-based theatre classes for pre-K through 12th-grade students; Teen Arden, their theatre enrichment program for high school students; and the Arden Professional Apprentice program, a rigorous training program for young theatre professionals.
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