We are at a boxing match…
We have ringside seats…
When the champ’s sparring partner —Fish (played by Zack Bazile) mentions all the blood, we can smell it…
—and the sweat too.
Yet, the violence in playwright Marco Ramirez’ re-imagined telling of Black heavyweight champion Jack Johnson’s shattering of the color line barely needs a PG rating.
With rhythmic claps and flamenco-intense stomps, we hear every POW! POW! punch.
What we see though are the words of the champion’s coach —Wynton (played by Ray Anthony Thomas)— made visual. To paraphrase—… in the ring, you are always there alone.
The Royale tells the story of Jack Johnson, the world’s first Black heavyweight champion. Johnson— in this script called Jay (played by Galen Ryan Kane) — who craves the recognition that he is not the Black heavyweight champion, but rather THE heavyweight champion. His thirst for the title is so great that he even agrees to let his white competitor take home 90% of the purse— win or lose.
Smashing the color line was expected to come at a huge price.
If the champion himself wasn’t going to be shot, others would. We never see the white lynch mobs in waiting, and if his white promoter —Max, played by Matthew Donahue—had his way, Jay wouldn’t see them either.
On the other hand, the champion’s sister— Nina (played by Tia James) — comes a great distance to deliver her one-two punch challenge to her brother’s ego. Even if he doesn’t get killed, a whole lot of Black people will be hurt in retribution for his win. Some might think he does this for the race. She does not.
With rhythmic claps and flamenco-intense stomps, we hear every POW! POW! punch of her accusations as they land in the Champion’s head.
In this way, The Royale takes us beyond the boxing ring into the boxer’s head, where the real battle Royale unfolds.
You too might find yourself stunned by the brilliance of the script and the pitch perfect delivery of every line by this most able cast.
PlayMakers Repertory Experiments with a Pre-Show Talk
Even better, on the night of this review, PlayMakers hosted a pre-performance talk by UNC Professor of History Dr. Matthew Andrews whose research “…explores the links between sports, politics, and political protest in American History…”.Beyond the specs of the historic match between Jack Johnson and Jimmy Burns, we learned of how the repulsive battle royal entertainments were common—- even the young Godfather of Soul, James Brown, unwittingly took part in one. We learned about novelist Jack London’s repulsive racism, how Johnson died in a North Carolina car accident after leaving Chapel Hill, and more. Rarely do pre-show talks set the stage so well. If there is a repeat pre-show talk don’t miss it.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
CAST:
Zack Bazile*, Matthew Donahue, Tia James*, Galen Ryan Kane*, Ray Anthony Thomas*.
*Indicates members of Actors’ Equity Association.
CREATIVE TEAM:
Playwright: Marco Ramirez
Directed by Vivienne Benesch
Movement Director: Christopher Windom
Scenic Designer: Ant Ma
Costume Designer: Sabrina Guillaume-Bradshaw
Lighting Designer: Tao Wang
Dramaturg: Jacqueline E. Lawton
Stage Manager: Sarah Smiley*
Sound Designer: Daniel Baker
Voice Coach: Gwendolyn Schwinke
Assistant Director: Jayden Peszko
Assistant Stage Manager: Aspen Blake Jackson*
WHEN:
Sep 13 - 28, 2025
WHERE:
Joan H Gillings Center for Dramatic Art
University of North Carolina
120 Country Club Rd
Chapel Hill, NC 27599
Click here to read more Picture This Post Playmakers Rep stories.
Photos: Huth, courtesy of PlayMakers Repertory Company
About the Author: Amy Munice
Amy Munice is Editor-in-Chief and Co-Publisher of Picture This Post. She covers books, dance, film, theater, music, museums and travel. Prior to founding Picture This Post, Amy was a freelance writer and global PR specialist for decades—writing and ghostwriting thousands of articles and promotional communications on a wide range of technical and not-so-technical topics.
