The Pear Theatre Announces THE MOUNTAINTOP And SUNSET BABY to Open February 4

The Pear Theatre continues it's 20th season with a third round of Pear Pairings featuring: The Mountaintop by Pulitzer Prize recipient and Olivier Award-winning playwright Katori Hall, and Sunset Baby by MacArthur Genius Grant recipient and Obie Award-winning playwright Dominique Morisseau. Both shows will be presented live at the theatre, and available via on-demand streaming.

The Mountaintop (Winner of the 2010 Olivier Award for BEST PLAY) lauded as "crackl[ing] with theatricality and a humanity more moving than sainthood" (NY Newsday), and "as audacious as it is inventive...[a] thrilling, wild, provocative flight of magical realism" (Associated Press), will be presented in repertory with Sunset Baby, live at the theatre and available via on-demand streaming. The Mountaintop opens February 4th and runs through February 19th; Fridays at 8:00 PM and Saturdays at 2:00 PM. Post-show talkbacks with the cast and director will take place after every matinee performance. Select Tickets ($20-$42) and information are available by visiting www.thepear.org or by calling (650) 254-1148.

The Mountaintop is a gripping reimagination of events the night before the assassination of civil rights leader, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. On April 3, 1968, after delivering one of his most memorable speeches, an exhausted Dr. King retires to his room at the Lorraine Motel while a storm rages outside. When a mysterious stranger arrives with some surprising news, King is forced to confront his destiny and legacy to his people. "I want people to see that this extraordinary man [Martin Luther King Jr.] created a fundamental shift in how we, as a people, interact with each other. That's a beautiful thing," explains playwright Katori Hall. She adds: "I want people in the audience to be, like, 'if this man who was so much a human being can achieve such great things, then I as this complicated human being can create great things, too.'"

Sunset Baby, acclaimed as "[a] smart and bracing new play...[that] covers vast acres of social and political ground" (NY Newsday), and features "sharp insight into the African-American experience and a passion for excavating emotional nuances" (TheaterMania), will be presented in repertory with The Mountaintop, live at the theatre and available via on-demand streaming. Sunset Baby opens February 5th and runs through February 20th; Saturdays at 8:00 PM and Sundays at 2:00 PM (+ an additional early performance on Thursday, February 10th at 7:30pm, and a gala celebration on Saturday, February 12th). Post-show talkbacks with the cast and director will take place after every matinee performance. Tickets ($20-$42) and information are available by visiting www.thepear.org or by calling (650) 254-1148.

Sunset Baby chronicles the story of Kenyatta Shakur, a former Black Revolutionary and political prisoner, who is desperate to reconnect with his estranged daughter, Nina. If Kenyatta truly wants to reconcile his past, he must first conquer his most challenging revolution of all - fatherhood. Sunset Baby is an energized, vibrant, and witty look at the point where the personal and political collide, by one of the most exciting and distinctive voices in America. Playwright Dominique Morisseau shares: "I wanted to see an African-American woman as a strong lead in a story. I also wanted to create complication around what absentee fatherhood means - because it doesn't always mean lack of love or shirking responsibility. [Nina is] one of the toughest women I've ever written and one of my favorite characters."

The cast for The Mountaintop features Damaris Divito as Camae and Fred Pitts as Martin Luther King, Jr. The cast for Sunset Baby features Damaris Divito as Nina, Alonzo Cook as Damon, and Fred Pitts as Kenyatta. Sinjin Jones directs both productions, with Costume

Design by Patricia Files. Kelly Weber Barraza heads Production Management, Ben Hemmen designs Lighting, Dan Holland arranges Sound Design, and Kevin Davies acts as Set and Prop Designer.

All productions are subject to change according to county guidelines regarding Covid; please check audience requirements (masks and proof of vaccination) before purchasing tickets for in person shows.