February 23, 2016

Spotlight on Alumni: Beryl Bain

Beryl BainBeryl Bain (BFA Acting 2005) is currently performing in The Grand Theatre, London’s production of The Mountaintop by Katori Hall to rave reviews.

The play is a fictional account of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, the famous American civil rights leader, on his last day on Earth before he was assassinated in Memphis on April 4, 1968. In it, she plays an employee of the Lorraine Motel coming to deliver King a cup of coffee, and a series of events that that he definitely didn’t expect! In a flash, the show becomes a roller coaster of hilarious plot twists and turns, set in the tumultuous America of the 1960’s and beyond.

The show has received tremendous response thus far. People who have seen the show routinely stop Beryl in the street in order to offer congratulations and praise. Check out this review in the London Free Press.

The show has also called attention to some of the social issues surrounding the increasingly diverse population of London ON. Unfortunately, my costar and I were subjected to two incidents of racially motivated harassment, which have also received a great deal of attention from both the local and national press.

Not only is the play funny and full of plot twists (there is a BIG surprise in the middle), the ideas are big and very relevant to today.

For more on the show, see the Grand’s website for detailsThe Mountaintop, directed by Nigel Shawn Williams, who directed Cloud Nine for Theatre @ York this Fall, plays there until Saturday February 27, 2016.

Beryl Bain and E.B. Smith in Katori Hall's "The Mountaintop". Photo by Claus Andersen.

The Mountaintop, photo by Claus Andersen
Beryl Bain and E.B. Smith in Katori Hall’s “The Mountaintop”. Photo by Claus Andersen.