You may know the story, but do you really know the implications of the historic Jack Johnson versus Jim Jeffries Heavyweight Championship match of 1910? “The Royale,” a new play by Marco Ramirez, the creator of the Netflix series “Orange is the New Black,” takes a glimpse into the historical realities of a similar fictional fight that takes place in the height of the Jim Crow era.
The Forum Theater takes on this riveting story of one man’s quest to attain a championship and change the world in 1905, with a talented cast: Aaron Profit, Robert Barnes, Deontae Hayden, Anjelica Breathett, Mark Anderson, Daley Gunter and Naaman Williams. The play opens Feb. 8, and runs through Feb. 25, at the Wilke Center, located on the northeast end of the First United Methodist Church Building, 330 N. Broadway, Wichita.
Playwright Marco Ramirez, using boxing to explore the race relations in the Jim Crow Era, dramatically reimagines the groundbreaking career of African-American boxer Jack Johnson and his 1910 victory over retired World Heavyweight Champion Jim Jeffries. Johnson’s victory provoked racial unrest, riots and multiple attacks and deaths. However, the show is less about boxing and more about exploring the complex questions of pursuing actions that instigate social and cultural changes. What does it mean to fight, win and lose, both personally, and as a society?
Profit who plays the Black heavyweight champion, Jay, “The Sport” Jackson, says this is not a show about boxing.
“It is show about a man who struggles with the reality of the violence that will surely occur if and when he wins the title of champion,” said Profit. “Anytime a barrier is broken, a wall is torn down there are repercussions. The struggle for me as an actor has been to capture the internal struggle of the character. It has been interesting to explore and understand the qualities of any man or woman who has the strength to pursue change in the face of known danger. …just like Martin Luther King and many others that have changed history.”
In the story, Jay dreams of breaking the racial barriers of the segregated boxing world by becoming the first African-American to be crowned the undisputed Heavyweight Champion of the World. When Max, an enterprising boxing promoter, successfully orchestrates The Fight of The Century” between Jay and the reigning white heavyweight champion, Jay is ready to seize the title. However, a visit from Jay’s sister Nina moments before the fight, forces him to confront the events that may occur if he wins and crosses this color line.
Torn between his ambition to and the painful awareness of the potential dangers to the African-American community if he is victorious, Jay realizes that the battle reverberates far beyond the boxing ring. Ramirez says of his play, “there are so many boxer stories about whether the boxer can win the fight. In the world of theater, it is more of a moral and ethical question about whether he should win the fight.”
Robert Barnes, a Wichita stage veteran, plays Winton, Jay’s trainer. Anjelica Breathett plays the role of Jay’s sister, Nina, Deontae Hayden plays the sparring partner Fish, and Mark Anderson plays Max, Jay’s manager. Ensemble members include Daley Gunter and Naaman Williams. A unique and creative use of percussive hits, stomps and rhythms helps to replicate the boxing sounds in the scenes where two boxers pair up in a stylized fight in which neither boxer throws a punch or faces each other.
The Forum Theatre Company’s production of The Royale will preview on Thurs., Feb. 8, at 8 p.m., and open on Fri., Feb. 9 for a three week. Two matinee performances on Sun., Feb. 11 and 18 will include a pre-show presentation on the historical context of the play and a post-show panel discussion followed by a meet and greet with the cast. All performances will be at the Wilke Center, a new space recently converted to a black box style theatre with modular seating and stage configurations.
Individual tickets are now on sale starting at $17 for the preview dress rehearsal on Thurs., Feb. 8. Tickets on regular Thursdays and Sundays are $23; Friday and Saturday are $25. Group discounts are available. Performances are every Thu, Fri, Sat at 8 p.m. and Sun at 2 p.m. through 25, 2018. Tickets are available by phone 316-618-0444 or at www.forumwichita.com.