MLK's last night in 'The Mountaintop'; Oscar's diversity fallout; August Wilson monologues

Published March 1, 2016 at 3:52 PM PST

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Larry Bates plays Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Danielle Truitt is a motel maid named Camae in "The Mountaintop."

Roger Guenveur Smith on directing "The Mountaintop," a play set in a Memphis motel on the eve of Martin Luther King Jr.'s assassination; criticism mounts over Chris Rock's treatment of diversity and Asian-Americans; high school students perform August Wilson monologues.

In monologue competition, young actors find their voice through the voice of August Wilson

The teenagers were competing for one of the most prestigious prizes for young actors in American theater, but they were also finding their artistic voice.

Chris Rock continues to draw heat for his stint as host of the Oscars

The comedian is being criticized for reducing diversity in Hollywood to a black-and-white paradigm, and for making jokes based on Asian stereotypes.

'The Mountaintop' imagines Martin Luther King Jr. on the eve of his death

Actor Roger Guenveur Smith sits in the director's chair for "The Mountaintop," Katori Hall's fictional account of MLK's last night alive.