Alicia Haymer

Nashville Repertory Theatre‘s current offering, The Mountaintop, written by Katori Hall presents a fictional, yet thought-provoking representation of what Dr. Martin Luther King‘s last night of earth might have been like. Directed for Nashville Rep by Alicia Haymer, the two-person play (now onstage at TPAC‘s Johnson Theatre through Sunday, February 23), stars Rashad Rayford as Dr. King and Tamiko Robinson Steele as Camae, a motel maid, who thanks to Hall’s clever script, gets a suprisingly personal one-on-one chance meeting with the history-making Civil Rights leader. The entirety of the action of The Mountaintop takes place in room 306 of Memphis’ now-infamous Lorraine Motel on the evening of April 3, 1968, the night before Dr. King’s assassination.  Last week, as cast and crew prepared to open the show, I had the honor of chatting with director and both stars for my latest Rapid Fire Q&A. What follow are those conversations.

RAPID FIRE Q&A WITH DIRECTOR AND CAST OF NASHVILLE REP’s THE MOUNTAINTOP

RAPID FIRE Q&A WITH THE MOUNTAINTOP DIRECTOR, ALICIA HAYMER

JHPENTERTAINMENT: As The Mountaintop director, what do audiences need to know going in?

ALICIA HAYMER: Whatever you’re expecting, this isn’t it. We often see the larger than life Dr King persona, but this is a reimagining of the man. 

JHPENTERTAINMENT: In preparation of chatting with you and your cast, I read the script since I’ve never seen a production of The Mountaintop. I was immediately stuck by how playwright Katori Hall’s fictionalize account of Dr. King’s last night humanizes him. Is that humanization of the icon part of what drew you to this particular project?

ALICIA HAYMER: Absolutely. Katori Hall approached this idea in such a unique way. I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to tell this story, and work with my dear friends Rashad and Tamiko.

JHPENTERTAINMENT: Speaking of the script, early on when Dr. King and Camae comment on the rain, Camae simply remarks, “God ain’t gonna stop crying no time soon”. That line really hit me. Do you have a favorite line in the show?

ALICIA HAYMER: Yes! “Take the baton and pass, pass, pass it along!” We must all continue to do the work necessary to move our society forward.

JHPENTERTAINMENT: When directing a two-person play as opposed to a larger cast, how important is blocking/staging, and how have you addressed it with The Mountaintop?

ALICIA HAYMER: It’s much easier with two actors. The important thing about blocking is that it feels organic and authentic. I don’t want two robots on stage, but two people living and moving truthfully in the moment. 

JHPENTERTAINMENT: I’m about to chat with your two actors, so I’d like to ask you…what is is about Rashad Rayford’s performances as Dr. King and Tamiko Robinson Steele’s turn as Camae that you hope audiences take note of most?

ALICIA HAYMER: Rashad has done extensive research to bring Dr. King to life in this unique way. I hope audiences resonate with the spirit of Dr. King that he invokes in his own authentic way. As for Tamiko, she is so brilliant, and brings such light and earnestness to Camae. I hope audiences see that any person, no matter how insignificant they believe themselves to be, can do extraordinary things. 

RAPID FIRE Q&A WITH RASHAD RAYFORD, DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. IN NASHVILLE REP’s THE MOUNTAINTOP

JHPENTERTAINMENT: Alright, I need a little clarity to start…Your show bio indicates that The Mountaintop marks your Rep debut, but didn’t you appear in a 2012 staged reading of A Behanding in Spokane with The Rep?

RASHAD RAYFORD: I did the staged reading for A Behanding in Spokane. You are correct. This will be my mainstage debut.

JHPENTERTAINMENT: It’s not your first time playing the role of Dr. King in The Mountaintop, having appeared as the legendary Civil Rights leader in the regional premiere back in 2012. In the years since you first stepped into the role, have you discovered nuances in the role that you’re bringing to this performance?

RASHAD RAYFORD: Definitely, I’ve grown as a person, I was newly married, with no children back then. My wife and I now have four children, and 13 years of marriage and life experiences under my belt. There are so many differences between now and then. It’s been great to discover new things along the way this time.

JHPENTERTAINMENT: This show also serves as a bit of an on-stage reunion with your costar, Tamiko Robinson Steele, having shared the stage with her in The Piano Lesson, Never Been Home and 70% More (and a few film projects if my research serves me well). I have been enthralled by Tamiko from the first time I saw her on stage. She is truly a gift to Nashville’s theatre community. What is is about Tamiko’s talent that makes her the ideal scene partner?

RASHAD RAYFORD: I’ve known Tamiko for almost twenty years now and she is truly family. She is the consummate professional, and her work ethic and dedication are inspiring. We have this great ability to play off of each other and energize each other onstage.  I always enjoy sharing the stage with actors who “get it”. The depths of her character development and  understanding nuance. It’s a pleasure to watch her work. 

JHPENTERTAINMENT: You’ve also shared the stage with your director, Alicia Haymer. As a director, how has she helped bring out your best performances in this show?

RASHAD RAYFORD: This is the first time Alicia has directed me, and I’ve appreciated her approach. She allows us to make decisions, but she also has enhanced what we’re doing, and pushed us to go further and get uncomfortable so that we could find comfort. She is a great director. It’s been an awesome experience. 

JHPENTERTAINMENT: What do you hope audiences take with them after having seen The Mountaintop?

RASHAD RAYFORD: I hope audiences walk away knowing that they are enough. Wherever they are in their journey, they can get to The Mountaintop and they can also help others get there too.

RAPID FIRE Q&A WITH TAMIKO ROBINSON STEELE, CAMAE IN NASHVILLE REP’s THE MOUNTAINTOP

JHPENTERTAINMENT: Alright, just to begin…When I saw that you were playing Camae in The Rep’s The Mountaintop, I was so excited. I mean…you gotta know you’re among what I’ve always referred to as my ‘theatre crushes’. Who is Camae to you?

TAMIKO ROBINSON STEELE: First of all, I love that I’m on your ‘theatre crush’ list…I’ll take that honor! Camae, to me, is lightning in a bottle. She’s quick-witted, sharp as a blade, and carries a presence that is impossible to ignore. But beyond the humor and fire, she’s a mirror and a reckoning. She forces Dr. King, and the audience, to see him as more than just an icon, but a man with fears, flaws, and a fate he can’t outrun. Playing her is like stepping into a storm and a sermon at the same time, she is divine mischief, raw truth, and boundless energy wrapped in one unforgettable woman.

JHPENTERTAINMENT: As I mentioned to Alicia, prior to chatting with you all, I read the script as I was only vaguely familiar with the work. I love Camae’s spiritedness. Is that part of what drew you to this role?

TAMIKO ROBINSON STEELE: Absolutely! Camae is spirit and spark. She’s unpredictable, she flips the energy in the room on its head, and she refuses to be boxed in by expectation. But what truly drew me to her is what’s underneath all that fire, her purpose. She is sent for a reason, and watching her navigate that tension between her humor and her mission, between being in awe of Dr. King and challenging him, makes her one of the most deliciously layered roles I’ve ever stepped into. It’s exhilarating to play someone who gets to challenge history itself while still keeping you laughing, questioning, and on the edge of your seat.

JHPENTERTAINMENT: Before opening weekend, The Rep shared a sneak peek at the set designed by Gary C. Hoff. Is there an aspect of the set or a piece that the audience might miss that you find particularly interesting?

TAMIKO ROBINSON STEELE: Oh, that Gary C. Hoff! His sets always transport you somewhere.  One thing I love is how the small details ground you in the time period—from the textures to how they may shift when the light hits it, it’s like stepping into 1968 itself. But there’s also a subtle unease in the space, a feeling that something bigger is at play. I won’t spoil too much, but let’s just say this set has a way of shifting right when you least expect it, much like the story itself.

JHPENTERTAINMENT: When I spoke with Rashad Rayford, I noted that you two have shared the stage a handful of times in the past. This show also reunites you with director Alicia Haymer, who directed you in Nashville Rep’s School Girls; or The African Mean Girls Play. Is there a bit of advice or direction that Alicia has offered that opened up a new perspective of Camae to you?

TAMIKO ROBINSON STEELE: Rashad and Alicia are family to me. I can’t express how much knowing that the three of us would build this world together excited me! Alicia has this incredible way of finding the heart inside every scene. One thing she pushed me to do was to honor the stillness in moments because Camae is such an electric presence, it’s easy to play into the fast-talking, sharp-witted firecracker side of her. But Alicia reminded me that Camae doesn’t just disrupt, she listens, she absorbs, she knows exactly when to hold back and when to strike. That balance is what makes her so powerful. Working with Alicia again has been a gift, because she trusts her actors while also making sure every choice we make serves the story in a real and honest way.

JHPENTERTAINMENT: Why should audiences see The Mountaintop?

TAMIKO ROBINSON STEELE: Because it’s not just a play, it’s an experience. It takes one of the most monumental figures in history and lets you see him as a man, tired, flawed, afraid, funny, hopeful, real. It makes you laugh, think, and wrestle with what it means to carry the weight of change. And then, just when you think you know where it’s going, it flips everything on its head.

This play is urgent, intimate, and unforgettable. It reminds us that history isn’t just something we look back on, it’s something we’re still shaping, right now. So if you come to see The Mountaintop, be prepared. You’ll leave differently than when you walked in.