The Pursuit to be Heavyweight Champion
by Ann Marie Cusella
The Royale is playing at the Paul Robeson Theatre from September 8 – 24.
The First Black Heavyweight Champion
The Royale, written by Marco Ramirez, is a compelling five character 90 minute drama about the single-minded pursuit by a Black man to be the boxing heavyweight champion of the world during the Jim Crow era in the early 20th Century. It is a more thoughtful approach to a sports play, unlike the usual buildup to a “wow finish.” It is a fascinating character study that also directly confronts the brutal racism of the time, opening a window into the harsh realities of Black people living in a white man’s world.
It is loosely based on the life of the Black boxer, Jack Johnson, who became the first Black world heavyweight champion. When he defeated a white man named James Jeffries in 1910, the fight triggered anti-Negro race riots across the country.
The Sweet Science
In the play, Jay “The Sport” Jackson (Vincenzo McNeill) is the undisputed Black heavyweight champion. His dream is to become the only heavyweight champion, black or white. In the opening scene, Jay fights a young up and comer named Fish (Matthew Ball), while his manager Booster (Roosevelt Tidwell III) and promotor Max (David Mitchell) look on. Jay hires Fish as his sparring partner, and insists Max set up a match with Bixby, the current retired white champion. The remainder of the play takes place in the months leading up to the fight.
Fight scenes are perfectly choreographed so that no actual fighting takes place. The opponents are side by side in the ring, and we hear their inner thoughts as they lash out and take punches in the air, so that it has the feel of violent confrontation.
For Jay, boxing is like music. He feels it inside, as he bobs and weaves to a tune only he can hear, buzzing and humming as he dances around the ring. The brutality of the sport is an elixir to him, a gift from the gods bestowed on him that he has drunk to the last drop.
Vincenzo McNeill embodies Jay in a fierce, visceral performance that lays bare the soul of a gifted, driven athlete, whose choices may adversely affect not only himself, but people he loves and others he does not even know. Mr. McNeill expresses the joy, the grace, the ego, and the pain of the man in this gripping drama.
The Pinnacle of Drama
In a fine performance, Roosevelt Tidwell III is world-weary manager Booster. His love for Jay is clear, as is his worry that Jay’s ego will be his downfall. When he speaks of his experience as a young man at a place called The Royale, his sadness at the brutality of this life is heart-wrenching.
David Mitchell embodies the fast-talking, slick-bordering-on-sleazy, out for the main chance promotor, Max, while at the same time allowing his humanity to poke through from time to time. He adds a bit of humor with his quick, twitchy movements and almost compulsive chatter.
Matthew Ball, new to the Paul Robeson stage, plays Fish as a young man who knows he has talent, but is still insecure about his place in the violent world he wants to join.
VerNia Sharisse Garvin, who plays Jay’s sister Nina, arrives late in the proceedings, and acts as Jay’s conscience. Ms. Garvin has a quiet way of being very forceful that is counter to Jay’s brashness, but very effective in forcing him to question what he is doing.
The set by David Butler is very cleverly done. Three separate rooms cross the stage – a living room/barroom, the ring, and the locker room of the gym.
Rather than set pieces and props, the walls are chalked to represent a heavy bag, a series of lockers, and other items found in each room. For instance, when Jay hits the chalk heavy bag, it looks very real. Well done.
Verneice Turner, Artistic Director at the newly re-formed Paul Robeson Theatre, is the Director. She and her team have created an engrossing evening of theater that is very well-acted and staged, and very thought-provoking, as a good drama must be.
Dates, Tickets and More Information
The Royale is playing at the Paul Robeson Theatre from September 8 – 24, 2023.
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