by Mark G. Auerbach
Special to Berkshire on Stage
I may have a last name associated with basketball, and I drive past the Basketball Hall of Fame at least daily, but I know little about the sport, and even less about LeBron James. Let me start by saying that King James, Rajiv Joseph’s play currently at TheaterWorks, is not a biography of basketball great LeBron James, although James is a presence in this a wonderful play about sports fans bonding over the game. And, King James is not the first play about basketball. Jason Miller’s Pulitzer Prize winner That Championship Season chronicled a reunion of a high school basketball trophy-winning team. And the Broadway musical Promises, Promises had a fantastic song, “She Likes Basketball”, set at Madison Square Garden
King James is set in Cleveland at the beginning of the 2003-4 Cavaliers season, their first with LeBron James on the court. Matt (Gregory Perri), a bartender, has Cavaliers tickets he needs to sell, and Shawn (George Anthony Richardson), a writer, wants to buy them. The play chronicles their friendship over the years as well as LeBron’s. Joseph has built strong characters, and has given them a rich palette of dialogue, both witty and wise. The laughs are many. As these guys bond, you quickly realize that you need know nothing about basketball to understand their relationship.
Rob Ruggiero stages King James with his usual steady hand, and finds a balance between his two characters, and both actors, Gregory Perri and George Anthony Richardson in their TheaterWorks debuts, are magic. Luke Canterella, who designed the exquisite Fever Dreams earlier this season, has created an intricate set that takes over every inch of the stage and provides an eye-catching space for Ruggiero and company to move about. Danuekke Preston’s costumes are adept, and John Lasiter’s lighting is terrific. Kevin L. Alexander’s sound design is perfect.
King James is an excellent and timely contemporary play well worth seeing. Rajiv Joseph is a playwright who can fuse humor and serious stuff. And, I think he’d be thrilled to see how TheaterWorks handled his play. It’s top of the line.
King James runs in Hartford through March 2, before transferring to The Round House Theatre in Bethesda, MD in the Spring. Since Barrington Stage is involved with this production, expect it to appear in Pittsfield sometime this summer. For details: www.twhartford.org
TheaterWorks Hartford presents King James, by Rajiv Joseph.Directed by Rob Ruggiero. Scenic design by Luke Cantarella Costume design by Danielle Preston. Lighting design by John Lasiter. Sound design by Kevin L. Alexander. A co-production with the Round House Theatre in Bethesda, MD and Barrington Stage Company. Cast: George Anthony Richardson and Gregory Perri. Through March 2, 2025, TheaterWorks Hartford, Pearl Street, Hartford. For details: www.twhartford.org.
Mark G. Auerbach studied theatre at American University and The Yale School of Drama. He has worked for arts organizations nationwide, and reported on the arts for print and broadcast. Mark produces and hosts ArtsBeat, On The Mark, and Survivor Stories for WCPC15 and 89.5fm/WSKB. He’s a regular contributor to Berkshire Onstage and a member of the Berkshire Theatre Critics Association.