Jay “The Sport” Jackson dreams of being the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world, but in the racially segregated world of boxing in 1905, the odds are stacked against him. When a crooked boxing promoter hatches a plan for “the fight of the century,” “The Sport” might land a place in the ring with the reigning white heavyweight champion. Inspired by the real-life experiences of Jack Johnson, the first African-American heavyweight world champion, The Royale is an “arresting production….a stylized blow by blow of a fight that still rages today.” (The Washington Post).
The 1st Stage and Olney Theatre Center co-production of The Royale by Marco Ramirez features James J. Johnson, Chris Genebach, Lolita Marie, Clayton Pelham Jr., and Jaysen Wright. Paige Hernandez directs the production with fight choreography by Cliff Williams III.
The design team includes: set and costume design by Debra Kim Sivigny, lighting design by Sarah Tundermann, sound design by Kenny Neal, and projection design by Kelly Colburn.
The Royale will run at 1st Stage from January 30 through February 23 with show times as follows: Thursdays at 7:30pm, Fridays at 8 pm, Saturdays at 2 pm and 8 pm, and Sundays at 2pm.
General admission tickets are $42. Senior (65+) tickets are $39. Student and military tickets are $15.
Tickets can be purchased online at www.1ststage.org or by calling the 1st Stage box office at 703-854-1856.
The run time is approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes with no intermission. Captions and audio description will be offered for select performances. Check www.1stStage.org for the schedule. Assistive listening devices are available upon request at every performance.
The Royale is the third production in 1st Stage’s 12th Season. Following The Royale will be A New Brain by William Finn and James Lapine directed by Kathryn Chase Bryer (March 26- April 19, 2020), and The Waverly Gallery by Kenneth Lonergan directed by Alex Levy (May 7-June 7, 2020). The 4th Annual Logan Festival of Solo Performance featuring nationally celebrated solo performers will run from July 16-26, 2020.
About 1st Stage
Now in its 12th Season, 1st Stage Theatre is an award-winning professional theatre in the heart of Tysons, Virginia. The company serves as a cultural hub for the community producing first-rate theatrical productions as well as hosting professional musicians, orchestras, and visual artists, and providing educational opportunities for the community. Awards include the American Theatre Wing National Theatre Company award, Helen Hayes Awards for Outstanding Production of a Musical (Fly By Night) in 2019, Outstanding Supporting Actor and Outstanding Lead Actor in a Play in 2018, Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Play in 2017 and 2016, Outstanding Director of a Musical and Outstanding Lead Actor in 2015, and the John Aniello Award for Outstanding Emerging Theatre Company in 2010. In 2019, 1st Stage was nominated for 22 Helen Hayes Awards (receiving 5 of those awards)— the second most of any theatre in the DC region. Additionally, 1st Stage is a member of the Catalogue for Philanthropy class of 2016-2017. In September 2016, The Wall Street Journal called 1st Stage “one of America’s most impressive smaller regional companies.” For more information, visit 1st Stage online at www.1ststage.org or follow the theater on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
About Olney Theatre Center:
Once a summer stock retreat in rural Maryland, Olney Theatre Center is now an award-winning, year-round regional theatre surrounded in a 15-mile radius by 1.6 million people representing three of the most ethnically diverse counties in America. Since our founding in 1938, some of the biggest names in theatre have appeared on our stages: from “Golden Era” stars like Helen Hayes and Tallulah Bankhead to contemporary artists like Sir Ian McKellen, Robin De Jesús, and many others. OTC welcomed Artistic Director Jason Loewith and Managing Director Debbie Ellinghaus in 2013 and 2014, respectively, who established a new artistic strategy to broaden programming with the goal of nurturing a diversity of voices and audiences. Olney Theatre Center now produces musicals and plays under the three rubrics of Classic, Contemporary and Family programming. Since 2013 Olney Theatre Center has twice won the Helen Hayes Award for Outstanding Musical Production, the Charles MacArthur Award for Outstanding New Play and presented six world premieres. Complementing this work, OTC fulfills its mission as a teaching theater with educational programs like the Our Play program in local 5th grade classrooms, a summer camp and a year-round professional apprentice program. National Players, now in its 70th Season, is the hallmark outreach program of OTC, a unique ensemble touring innovative theater to communities large and small across the United States.
