Katori Hall
Playwright Biography
•From Memphis, Tennessee
•Graduated from Columbia University - African American Studies and Creative Writing
•Graduated from The American Repertory at Harvard University – MFA in Acting
•Juilliard Graduate – Playwriting Program
•Graduate of the Sundance Episodic Lab inaugural class
•Attended the Sundance Screenwriting Lab
•Attended Ryan Murphy Half Foundation Directing Program
•Lark Trustee
•Director of ARKABUTLA and Sweet Love
•Has been published in The Boston Globe, The Guardian and The New York Times
•Several Acting credits
• Other Awards and Fellowships include: Lawrence Olivier Award for Best Play in 2010 (The Mountaintop), Susan Smith Blackburn Award in 2011 for Hurt Village, Columbia University John Jay Award for Distinguished Professional Achievement, Lorraine Hansberry Playwriting Award, National Black Theaters August Playwriting Award, Otis Gurensey New Voices Playwriting Award, two Lecompte du Nouy Prizes from the Lincoln Center, received the Ron Brown scholarship as a high school graduate, fellowship of Southern Writers Bryan Family Award in Drama, a member of the Coco-Cola Scholar Program, Lark Play Development Center Playwrights of New York (PoNY) Fellowship, ARENA Stage American Voices New Play Residency, Kate Neal Kinley Fellowship, NYFA Fellowship and a member of the Dramatists Guild.
Samuel L. Jackson and Angel Bassett in The Mountaintop.
Highlighted Play: The Mountaintop
Synopsis:
April 3rd, 1968, in Memphis Tennessee, alone in motel room number 306, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. is exhausted having just retired to his room. When he calls room service for a cup of coffee, it is delivered by Camae - it is her first day of work at Lorraine Motel. As the conversation develops between the two characters, we learn that Camae is an angel sent by God and it is the night before Dr. Martin Luther King’s assassination.
Themes:
• American History
•The Memphis sanitation workers strike
•Larry Payne
•Civil Rights
•Black Lives Matter
*Leadership
•Portrayals of death
•Tolerance
•Social justice
•Re-imagined historical events
Audience:
Due to some profanity, I would suggest an audience of Grade 10 onward.
Suggested Activities:
One of the major themes in The Mountaintop is leadership. Brainstorm the qualities needed to be a good leader. Do you possess these qualities? If so, how? Provide specific examples. If not, how might you work towards them?
Compare King's famous speech, "I've Been to the Mountaintop" to the monologue that King delivers in this play that begins "God, are you all right?" Can you trace any similarities? How might the factual speech have influenced the monologue within this play?
Katori Hall wrote an imagined series of events that depicted the final night alive for Martin Luther King, Jr. Select an influential figure (past or present) and write a short play, monologue or scene that fictionalizes their trials and tribulations.
Discussion Questions:
•The Mountaintop is a purely fictitious account of King’s final day. What do you think Hall was trying to convey about Martin Luther King? Why did she write this account as it is?
•Camae, the angel from God is portrayed in a less than stereotypical angelic figure. Why do you think she was characterized this way?
•What is the impact of the poetic ending, ‘The Baton Passes’ on?
•What are some of the ways that the character King tries to rationalize his impending death?
•How is humor used as a device in this play?
Hurt Village
Synopsis:
13-year-old Cookie and her family are preparing to move out of Hurt Village. Buggy arrives home from military service, but Cookie does not recognize him as her father; during the welcome home festivities for Buggy, Tony C turns up and offers Buggy a job. Big Mama finds out her application to move home has been denied because she earns too much money at her custodial job, and Buggy has a PTSD attack. Upon discovering he will not receive military benefits; Buggy decides to sell drugs with the help of Cornbread. Meanwhile Big Mama goes to the Welfare office and begs for her application to be accepted. Tony C confronts Buggy and Cornbread for selling drugs on his jurisdiction; they fight, and the police arrive. Cookie's mother asks Buggy to take care of her as she has started taking drugs again, but he refuses. Buggy talks to Cookie about how babies are conceived and asks her about the Hurt Village code - 'Das Haus des Jammers'.
13 year old Cookie inspects a flea in a jar for her science project.
Themes:
•American history
•Language analysis
•Post-traumatic stress syndrome
•Housing projects in downtown Memphis after Dr. King was shot
•Segregated Housing
•The drug trade in Memphis
•Poverty and crime
•Hope
•Tolerance
Audience:
Due to the use of profanity and adult subject matters, I would suggest an audience of Grade 11 onward.
Discussion Questions:
•What is the symbolism of Cookie's dolls house?
•How is language in Hurt Village used to convey meaning? How does it contribute to the storytelling?
•The Hurt Village code is 'Das Haus des Jammers’ which translates to “The House of Sorrow” – discuss.
Hoodoo Love
Synopsis:
One-night Toulou’s lover, Ace, mistakenly calls Toulou ‘Abby’ and reveals that to be the name of his deceased wife who is buried along with their baby. The next day, Candylady offers Toulou an orange for a ‘get-a-man ritual’ and that same day, Ace becomes sick to his stomach. Sometime later, Ace asks Toulou to marry him and leave with him to Chicago that night. She asks about Abby, but he has no recollection; the spell has worked, and she has all his love. That night Jib, Toulou’s brother, rapes Toulou while Candylady looks on, unable to move. Toulou becomes pregnant, but does not know who the father is, so Candylady gives her a red vial to end the pregnancy. Six months later, Toulou tells Ace that the baby is his and Jib visits; Toulou empties the contents of the red vial into his flask which is mistakenly drunk by Ace.
Themes:
•African American culture and the Blues
•African American folk magic
•History of Memphis Tennessee 1930’s.
•Trauma / sexual abuse
Audience:
Due to the use of profanity and adult subject matters, I would suggest an audience of Grade 11 onward.
Discussion Questions:
•How are Toulou’s hopes and dreams captured through song?
•How is verse used as a devise within the plays structure?
Candylady and Toulou in Hoodoo love
Comprehensive List of Plays
The Mountaintop
Hurt Village
Our Lady of Kibeho
The Blood Quilt
Children of The Killers
Hoodoo Love
WHADDABLOODCLOT!!!
Saturday Night Sunday Morning
The Hot Wing King
Pussy Valley
Tina – The Tina Turner Musical
Additional Resources:
Bibliography
African-American Hoodoo: More than magic. (2013, January 04). Retrieved June 17, 2020, from https://www.futurity.org/african-american-hoodoo-more-than-magic/
Andreeva, N. (2018, November 27). Starz Picks Up To Series Strip Club Drama 'P-Valley' & Opioid Epidemic Drama 'Hightown'. Retrieved June 17, 2020, from https://deadline.com/2018/11/starz-picks-up-to-series-strip-club-drama-p-valley-opioid-epidemic-drama-hightown-1202508944/
Ansbro, J. J. (2000). Martin Luther King, Jr: Nonviolent strategies and tactics for social change. Lanham, MD: United States.
Art Talk with Playwright Katori Hall. (2017, January 12). Retrieved June 17, 2020, from https://www.arts.gov/art-works/2015/art-talk-playwright-katori-hall
Bradford, W. (n.d.). "The Mountaintop" by Katori Hall. Retrieved June 17, 2020, from https://www.thoughtco.com/the-mountaintop-overview-2713461
Chireau, Y. P. (2006). Black magic: Religion and the African American conjuring tradition. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press.
Gross, T. (2017, May 03). A 'Forgotten History' Of How The U.S. Government Segregated America. Retrieved June 20, 2020, from https://www.npr.org/2017/05/03/526655831/a-forgotten-history-of-how-the-u-s-government-segregated-america
History.com Editors. (2009, November 09). Martin Luther King, Jr. Retrieved June 20, 2020, from https://www.history.com/topics/black-history/martin-luther-king-jr
Jones, T. (2008, October 01). The Audacity of Hope? Retrieved June 17, 2020, from https://memphismagazine.com/features/columns/the-audacity-of-hope/
Katori Hall. (n.d.). Retrieved June 17, 2020, from https://www.katorihall.com/
Lovett, B. (2018, March 01). Beale Street. Retrieved June 17, 2020, from https://tennesseeencyclopedia.net/entries/beale-street/
Memphis Sanitation Workers' Strike. (2018, June 04). Retrieved June 17, 2020, from https://kinginstitute.stanford.edu/encyclopedia/memphis-sanitation-workers-strike
The Lark. (n.d.). Katori Hall. Retrieved June 17, 2020, from https://www.larktheatre.org/about-us/our-people/katori-hall/
Wall Street Journal. (2012, February 28). Katori Hall on Her New Play, “Hurt Village.” Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x5FOJOrYnPI