Milwaukee Chamber Theatre Launches The Mountaintop Legacy Award

MILWAUKEE, WI – January 15 – In keeping with its larger mission of bringing its community closer together while celebrating what makes Milwaukee great, Milwaukee Chamber Theatre (MCT), in partnership with CopyWrite Magazine, the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Center, and Zao MKE Church, is proud to launch the Mountaintop Legacy Award, which will highlight Black excellence in Milwaukee during MCT’s run of Katori Hall’s play THE MOUNTAINTOP, onstage March 8-24.

MCT is asking the community to nominate Milwaukee change-makers who exemplify the ideas of unity, equity, and locally led movements highlighted by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in his final speech, commonly referred to as “The Mountaintop Speech.” Any Black or African American individuals making a positive difference in Greater Milwaukee are eligible to receive a Mountaintop Legacy Award. Learn more at www.milwaukeechambertheatre.org/mountaintoplegacyaward.

“Dr. King’s legacy lives on in so many places and people, and Milwaukee is no exception,” said THE MOUNTAINTOP Director and Milwaukee native Dimonte Henning. “MCT’s commitment to celebrating its community goes hand-in-hand with THE MOUNTAINTOP’s inspirational central message that we each have it within us to be the change we want to see in the world. And I’m thrilled that this production and this new award bring both of those ideas together and allow us to celebrate some of the leaders working hard to live Dr. King’s vision in Milwaukee.”

Mountaintop Legacy Award nominees should reflect the following values in either their professional or personal pursuits:

• Leadership Excellence: Exhibit exceptional leadership qualities that inspire others, foster unity, and drive positive change.
• Impact on Community: Demonstrate commitment and significant contributions to improving the lives of those within their community.
• Collaboration and Inclusivity: Encourage collaboration, inclusivity, and diversity in initiatives, fostering unity and solidarity among various groups within Milwaukee.
• Resilience and Determination: Overcome challenges and obstacles while persistently striving for positive change.
• Dedication to Equity: Demonstrate commitment to promoting fairness, justice, and inclusivity across various domains.

Nominations for the Mountaintop Legacy Award should be submitted using the online form found at www.milwaukeechambertheatre.org/mountaintoplegacyaward. Nominators will need to provide no more than 500 words on how the nominee exemplifies the ideals listed above. Nominators having trouble accessing the form or needing to provide a nomination in another way can email Milwaukee Chamber Theatre Audience Development & Engagement Associate Katie Avila Loughmiller at katie@milwaukeechambertheatre.org.

Nominations are due by Sunday, February 11, 2024 at 5 pm CT.

Mountaintop Legacy Award recipients will be selected by a panel of MCT artists and community partners from nominations by the public of individuals who best exemplify Dr. King’s ideals across sectors including but not limited to political, nonprofit, business, educational, art, and tech. Each award recipient will be recognized at one of MCT’s public performances of THE MOUNTAINTOP.

“Art is a depiction of life, and fittingly THE MOUNTAINTOP is celebrating Black excellence on the stage while shining the spotlight on Milwaukee’s Black change agents,” said Morgan Phelps, CEO of Colorful Connections and member of Milwaukee Chamber Theatre’s Board of Trustees. “MCT focuses many productions on elevating stories from communities of color, and this award allows us to break the fourth wall in a unique way.”

ABOUT THE PLAY

Pulitzer Prize-winner Katori Hall’s celebrated stage play, THE MOUNTAINTOP, is an inspirational reimagining of the final night of the life of legendary Civil Rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. After delivering one of his most memorable speeches, Dr. King retires to his room at the Lorraine Motel, where a mysterious stranger forces him to confront his destiny and legacy. A classic of the modern theater that, in humanizing Dr. King, suggests we all have within us the power to be the change we wish to see in the world. THE MOUNTAINTOP will be directed by acclaimed Milwaukee theater artist Dimonte Henning. Learn more at www.milwaukeechambertheatre.org/mountaintop.

ABOUT MILWAUKEE CHAMBER THEATRE

Founded in 1975 by Montgomery Davis and Ruth Schudson, guided until 2020 by Michael Wright and Kirsten Finn, and now led by Brent Hazelton and Megwyn Sanders-Andrews, Milwaukee Chamber Theatre (MCT) partners with other arts organizations, community-based organizations, and universities to produce thought-provoking productions and innovative outreach programs on an intimate, human scale. As part of its five-decade commitment to strengthening Milwaukee and Wisconsin’s local artist community, MCT provides regular employment and a stable artistic home to professional artists through a five-play subscription series, the Young Playwrights Festival (YPF), and the Montgomery Davis Play Development Series (MDPDS).

MCT performs at the Broadway Theatre Center in Milwaukee’s Historic Third Ward and is a proud Member Group of the United Performing Arts Fund. For more information, to purchase tickets, or to make a donation please visit milwaukeechambertheatre.org.

MCT recognizes that when we gather at the BTC, we do so on traditional homeland of the Kickapoo, Menominee, Peoria, Potawatomi, Miami, and Lakota people, and that we serve a community where members of Wisconsin’s sovereign Miami, Anishinabe, Ho-Chunk, Menominee, Oneida, and Mohican nations remain present.

MCT welcomes people of all races, all religions, all genders, all countries of origin, all sexual orientations, and all abilities. We stand with all those who feel unheard or silenced, and we will ensure this is a safe place for all who enter.

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. It has not been verified for its accuracy or completeness.