Born and raised in Newark, NJ and products of the public school system, actors Jamil A.C. Mangan and Bowman Wright find themselves in the unlikely situation of co-starring in the same play (different cities), in the same role (Martin Luther King, Jr.) during the exact same run (March 29 through May 12, 2013).
Jamil co-stars with Courtney Thomas in the TheaterWorks production of The Mountaintop, (extended to May 12). Directed by Rob Ruggiero, the production is at City Arts On Pearl, 233 Pearl Street, Hartford, CT.
“Mountaintop is one of those plays you have to see more than once,” says Mangan in an interview with BroadwayBlack.com. “Katori packs so much in this play. Reading the script really made me understand his (MLK) legacy from another perspective and the controversy behind this play is both fascinating and imperative.”
Bowman Wright co-stars with Joaquina Kalukango in a production of Mountaintop produced by Alley Theatre in association with Arena Stage at the Mead Center in Washington, D.C. The production is directed by Robert O’Hara. “I believe that MLK, the man in this play, is more powerful than the icon. Every person who sees this play needs to remember that you don’t have to be perfect to do great things,” says Wright. “Lord knows that you’re not going to be perfect, but the goal is really to try and stay on the right path. You’ll slip and fall, but you always have to get back up.”
Hailed as “daring, rousing and provocative” by Entertainment Weekly, The Mountaintop is Katori Hall’s bold re-imagining of the last night of the historic life of Dr. Martin Luther King. Exhausted from delivering a significant speech, Dr. King rests in his room at the Lorraine Motel when an unexpected visit from a feisty, young maid compels him to confront his own humanity and the fate of our nation. Winner of the Olivier Award for Best New Play, The Mountaintop’s “soul-stirring” (Variety) storytelling fuses theatricality with spirituality to reach a summit that will leave audiences breathless. ~ Source: Arenastage.org
Jamil is a graduate of Arts High School and Bowman graduated from Barringer High School in Newark, NJ. Both attended the University of the Arts in Philadelphia, PA earning a BFA in Theater Arts. Bowman later earned an MFA in Acting from the University of San Diego.
Note: April 4, 2013 marks the 45th anniversary of the assassination of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in Memphis, Tennessee.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
TheaterWorks, Hartford, CT: Visit www.theaterworkshartford.org or call (860) 527-7838.
Mead Theater, Washington DC: For tickets visit Arenastage.org.
