A award-winning playwright Marco Ramirez wrote The Royale, based on the journey of boxing legend Jack Johnson, who, in 1905 during the Jim Crow era, quickly became the most famous black man in the world. The play is told in six rounds and set in a boxing ring where Johnson fights for more than just the title. His fight begins long before the match. It takes multiple negotiations to convince the white reigning titleholder to even recognize him as a worthy opponent and enter the ring.
The play is unusually unique in the sense that it’s not really about the life in the ring; not a single punch will actually be thrown during the course of the play. It is about a brother and sister who protect one another, and hold different definitions of what that means.
Ramirez is best known for his work as a writer for the Netflix Original, Orange is the New Black and on recent Marvel films. Actor, director and choreographer Austene Van directs.
The Royale stars New York–based actor David Murray. The play also features local actors James Craven, Santino Craven, Charles Fraser and Tamala Lacy.
“Original and graceful, The Royale packs a punch!”—The New York Times
With reviews this good, you’ll want to scurry to the box office and fight your way to get a seat.
The Royale
Feb 2–March 4, Wednesday–Saturday, 7:30 p.m.; Sunday, 2 p.m.
(matinees Wednesday, Feb. 14 & 21 and Saturday, March 3 at 2 p.m.)
Yellow Tree Theatre
