Pear Theatre to Open THE MOUNTAINTOP in January

Pear Theatre continues its 2015/2016 season with the two-person, Olivier Award-winning play from Katori Hall, THE MOUNTAINTOP. Deeply moving, THE MOUNTAINTOP creatively imagines the last night in the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr, set in Memphis in April, 1968. King meets the attractive, spunky motel maid Camae, who arrives to provide room service - but we soon discover she is no ordinary chambermaid. The production features Michael Wayne Rice as Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and Nathalie Autumn Bennett as Camae. Preview night is January 14th; Press and Opening Night is January 15th, with a champagne gala following the show. The run continues through January 31. All performances are held at the Pear Theatre's new space at 1110 La Avenida St., Mountain View. For tickets ($10-$35) and information the public may visit www.thepear.org or call (650) 254-1148.

"This isn't the 'I Have a Dream' King," said playwright Katori Hall. "This is a more radical King. This is King, the man; not the myth. I want people to see that this extraordinary man - who is actually quite ordinary - achieved something so great that he actually created a fundamental shift in how we, as a people, interact with each other. That's a beautiful thing. And I want people in the audience to be like, 'If this man - who is so much a human being - can achieve such great things, then I, as this complicated human being, can create great things too.'"

The Daily Telegraph said of THE MOUNTAINTOP, "It is a beautiful and startling piece, beginning naturalistically before shifting gear into something magical, spiritual and touching." Playwright Katori Hall, a Black woman from Memphis, Tennessee, was inspired to write her play by a family story about her mother. It received its world premiere at the 65-seat Theatre503, above a pub in Battersea, England. From there it was championed by producer Sonia Friedman, who took it to London's West End, where it won glowing reviews and nightly standing ovations. The Mountaintop subsequently ran on Broadway from October 2011 to January 2012, starring Samuel L. Jackson and Angela Bassett.

Director and Pear Theatre veteran Ray Renati has directed and performed in numerous shows at The Pear and elsewhere in the Bay Area. Michael Wayne Rice has previously appeared at Pear Theatre as George Armstrong in INTIMATE APPAREL and as Walter Lee in RAISIN IN THE SUN. He has also been seen locally with Renegade Theatre Experiment, Livermore Shakes, and as the title role of Othello with Shady Shakespeare. Newcomer Nathalie Autumn Bennett has been seen in leading roles with Black Repertory Group and San Gabriel Mission Playhouse, and performing one-woman shows at National Black Theatre and Lyceum Theatre.

The production team includes: Ray Renati, director and sound design; Kuo-Hao Lo, scenic design; David Gotlieb, lighting design; Pat Tyler, costumes and props; John Beamer, projection design; Norm Beamer, technical director; and Marissa Stough, stage management.

Pear Theatre began as the Pear Avenue Theatre in June 2002, under the leadership of Artistic Director Diane Tasca, by a group of theatre artists who believe that audiences are eager for plays that challenge as well as delight and move them. Pear Theatre produces intimate theatre by passionate artists, whether classic works or cutting-edge plays. Now in its fourteenth season, The Pear attracts theatre artists and audience from all over the Bay Area for its award-winning and high-quality productions; and this year The Pear's ongoing commitment to excellence has been recognized by the San Francisco Bay Area Theatre Critics Circle with the Paine Knickerbocker Award, an annual special award for a Bay Area company contributing to the high quality of theatre in the region.

Pear Theatre moved this summer from its original 40-seat warehouse space to a new, state-of-the-art black box theatre mere blocks away, with capacity of 75-99 seats depending on the configuration of the production. This exciting move allows The Pear to continue its tradition of intimate theatre while taking on new challenges and opportunities.

Tickets for all shows range from $10 to $35, with discounts available for seniors and students, and groups. Additional information and online ticketing are available by calling 650-254-1148 or going to www.thepear.org.

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