Montego Glover and More to Star in The Old Globe's THE ROYALE; Cast & Creatives Set!

The Old Globe today announced the full cast and creative team for Marco Ramirez's ("Orange is the New Black," "Sons of Anarchy") wildly theatrical new play The Royale, directed by two-time Obie Award-winning and Drama Desk Award-nominated Rachel Chavkin. Founding Artistic Director of New York's the TEAM, Chavkin most recently won accolades for Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812 (The New York Times, Time Out New York, and New York Post Critics's Picks, and Top Ten of 2012 and 2013). The Royale will run October 4 to November 2 in the Sheryl and Harvey White Theatre, part of the Conrad Prebys Theatre Center. Preview performances run October 4 - 8. Opening night is Thursday, October 9 at 8:00 p.m. Tickets can be purchased online at www.TheOldGlobe.org, by phone at (619) 23-GLOBE or by visiting the Box Office at 1363 Old Globe Way in Balboa Park.

Jay "The Sport" Jackson dreams of being the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world. But it's 1905, and in the segregated world of boxing, his chances are as good as knocked out. When a crooked boxing promoter hatches a plan for "the fight of the century," The Sport just might land a place in the ring with the reigning white heavyweight champion. Loosely based on real events, The Royale brings to explosive life the sights and sounds of the early 20th century boxing circuit, and the ultimate fight for a place in history.

The acting company includes the award-winning Montego Glover (Nina; originated Felicia Farrell in Memphis at La Jolla Playhouse and on Broadway, The Color Purple), John Lavelle (Max; The Graduate on Broadway, Globe 2013 Shakespeare Festival), Okieriete Onaodowan (Fish; Globe's The Brothers Size, Broadway's Rocky and Cyrano de Bergerac), Robert Christopher Riley (Jay; Broadway's Lombardi and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof), and Ray Anthony Thomas (Wynton; David Mamet's Race on Broadway, Fences and Jitney for NPR's August Wilson's Century Cycle).

The creative team includes Nicholas Vaughan (Scenic Design), Denitsa Bliznakova (Costume Design), Austin R. Smith (Lighting Design), Matt Hubbs (Sound Design), Caparelliotis Casting (Casting), and Annette Yé (Stage Manager).

"With The Royale, playwright Marco Ramirez has done something genuinely exciting: he has given vivid and imaginative theatrical form to a nearly forgotten but very important American story," said Artistic Director Barry Edelstein. "With dazzling language and real emotional force, The Royale takes us to a time when sports were the vanguard of social change in America. Through its characters we see our own world in a new way. I'm pleased to introduce Ramirez, and also the visionary director Rachel Chavkin, to San Diego audiences, and to welcome them both into the Globe family."

Marco Ramirez (Playwright) has had plays produced at Center Theatre Group, The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, The Black Dahlia Theatre, and Actors Theatre of Louisville's Humana Festival of New American Plays, where he has twice won the Heideman Award for Best Ten-Minute Play. He studied at New York University and The Juilliard School and is currently under commission by both Playwrights Horizons and Center Theatre Group. His honors include TCG's Edgerton Foundation New American Play Award and nominations for both the Writers Guild and Emmy Awards. He was born and raised in Hialeah, Florida, but now lives in Los Angeles, where his recent television writing credits include "Sons of Anarchy" (FX) and "Orange is the New Black" (Netflix).

Rachel Chavkin (Director) is an Obie Award-winning and Drama Desk Award- and Lucille Lortel Award-nominated director, and she is the Artistic Director of Brooklyn-based ensemble the TEAM, whose work was recently ranked Best of 2013 on three continents. Her selected freelance credits include Dave Malloy's Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812 (world premiere at Ars Nova, commercial transfer at Kazino; The New York Times, Time Out New York, and New York Post Critics's Picks), British live artist Chris Thorpe's Confirmation (Warwick Arts Centre, Battersea Arts Centre), Joseph Heller's Catch-22 (Northern Stage, U.K. national tour), Meg Miroshnik's The Fairytale Lives of Russian Girls (Yale Repertory Theatre), and multiple collaborations with Taylor Mac, including his extravaganza The Lily's Revenge (world premiere of Act II at HERE Arts Center). She is a New York Theatre Workshop Usual Suspect, Artistic Associate at London's Gate Theatre and Classic Stage Company, New Georges Affiliate Artist, and alumna of Soho Repertory Theater's Writer/Director Lab, the Drama League Directors Project, and the Women's Project Directors Lab.

Tickets to The Royale were initially available only as part of a Season Package, which offer substantial savings with special subscriber benefits. Subscription prices for the 2014-2015 Season range from $99 to $615. Subscription packages may be purchased online at www.TheOldGlobe.org, by phone at (619) 23-GLOBE or by visiting the Box Office at 1363 Old Globe Way in Balboa Park. Single tickets go on sale on Friday September 5 at noon and start at $29. Performances begin on October 4 and continue through November 2. Performance times: Previews: Saturday, October 4 at 8:00 p.m., Sunday, October 5 at 7:00 p.m., Tuesday, October 7 at 7:00 p.m., and Wednesday, October 8 at 7:00 p.m. Opening night is Thursday, October 9 at 8:00 p.m. Regular Performances: Tuesday and Wednesday evenings at 7:00 p.m., Thursday, Friday, and Saturday evenings at 8:00 p.m., Saturday and Sunday matinees at 2:00 p.m. and Sunday evenings at 7:00 p.m. There will a Wednesday matinee performance on October 22 at 2:00 p.m. and no matinee performance on Saturday, October 25. Discounts are available for full-time students, patrons 29 years of age and under, seniors, and groups of 10 or more.

Additional events taking place during the run of The Royale include:

INSIGHTS SEMINAR: Monday, October 6 at 7:00 p.m.

The seminar series features a panel selected from the current show. Reception at 6:30 p.m. FREE

POST-SHOW FORUMS: Tuesdays, October 14 and October 21, and Wednesday, October 29

Discuss the play with members of the cast and crew following the performance. FREE

SUBJECT MATTERS: Saturday, November 1

Following the 2:00 p.m. performance, explore the ideas and issues raised by the production through brief, illuminating post-show discussions with local experts. FREE

LOCATION and PARKING INFORMATION: The Old Globe is located in San Diego's Balboa Park at 1363 Old Globe Way. There are numerous free parking lots available throughout the park. Guests may also be dropped off in front of the Mingei International Museum. The Balboa Park valet is also available during performances ($12), located in front of the Japanese Friendship Garden. For additional parking information visit www.BalboaPark.org. For directions and up-to-date information, visit www.TheOldGlobe.org/Directions. To look up online or GPS directions to The Old Globe, do not use the Delivery Address above. There is only a 10-minute zone at that physical address. For GPS users, click here for the map coordinates, and here for written directions to The Old Globe and nearby parking in Balboa Park.

The Tony Award-winning Old Globe is one of the country's leading professional regional theatres and has stood as San Diego's flagship arts institution for over 75 years. Under the leadership of Artistic Director Barry Edelstein and Managing Director Michael G. Murphy, The Old Globe produces a year-round season of 14 productions of classic, contemporary, and new works on its three Balboa Park stages: the Donald and Darlene Shiley Stage in the 600-seat Old Globe Theatre and the 250-seat Sheryl and Harvey White Theatre, both part of The Old Globe's Conrad Prebys Theatre Center, and the 605-seat outdoor Lowell Davies Festival Theatre, home of its internationally renowned Shakespeare Festival. More than 250,000 people attend Globe productions annually and participate in the theatre's education and community programs. Numerous world premieres such as 2014 Tony Award winner for Best Musical, A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder, The Full Monty, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, A Catered Affair, and the annual holiday musical Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas! have been developed at The Old Globe and have gone on to enjoy highly successful runs on Broadway and at regional theatres across the country.

CAST & CREATIVE TEAM BIOGRAPHIES:

Montego Glover (Nina), an award-winning actress, originated the starring role of Felicia Farrell on Broadway in Memphis (Tony Award for Best Musical, 2010), for which she received a Tony Award nomination for Actress in a Musical and a Drama League Award nomination, and she won both the Outer Critics Circle Award and Drama Desk Award for her performance. Glover made her Broadway debut in The Color Purple and has performed at Geffen Playhouse, La Jolla Playhouse, The 5th Ave Theatre, Huntington Theatre Company, and Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera, among others. Her concert work includes The New York Pops, Jazz at Lincoln Center, Lincoln Center Theater, Philadelphia Symphony Orchestra, Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, Caramoor International Music Festival, and The Smith Center for the Performing Arts (PBS special). Her television and film roles include FBI Agent Lawrence on Fox's "The Following" as well as ABC's "Black Box," "Hostages," "Smash," "Golden Boy," "The Good Wife," "White Collar," "NYC 22," "Law & Order," "Made in Jersey," and the upcoming feature Alone. Her other credits include numerous commercials, voiceovers, and animated characters. Glover is a member of the Artists Committee for the Kennedy Center Honors and a New York PopsEd Ambassador.

John Lavelle (Max) has performed at The Old Globe in the 2013 Shakespeare Festival, for which he was nominated for the Craig Noel Award for Outstanding Lead Performance in a Play, and Bell, Book, and Candle directed by Darko Tresjnak. His favorite theatre credits include Benjamin in The Graduate (Broadway), Gratiano in The Merchant of Venice (Royal Shakespeare Company), Achilles in The Iliad (Syros Festival, Greece), Yosarian in Catch-22 (Lucille Lortel Theatre), Spatter Pattern (Playwrights Horizons), The Jew of Malta (Theatre for a New Audience), On the Razzle (Williamstown Theatre Festival), Burleigh Grimes (New World Stages), Rope (Drama Dept.), and As You Like It (The Shakespeare Center of Los Angeles). He has performed regionally at La Jolla Playhouse, McCarter Theatre Center, and Hartford Stage. Lavelle's television and film credits include "Law & Order: Trial by Jury," "The Black Donnellys," "Numb3rs," "NCIS," "Guiding Light," "All My Children," The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3, August, Zerosome, Disney's Frozen, and the soon-to-be-released film Selma.

Okieriete Onaodowan (Fish) last appeared at The Old Globe in The Brothers Size. He has been seen on Broadway in Rocky directed by Alex Timbers and Cyrano de Bergerac directed by Jamie Lloyd and Off Broadway in Luce (Lincoln Center Theater), Neighbors (The Public Theater), and Langston in Harlem directed by Kent Gash (Urban Stages). His Off Off Broadway credits include The Shipment directed by Young Jean Lee (The Kitchen) and Pontius Pilate in The Last Days of Judas Iscariot (Richmond Shepard Theatre). He was also seen in the first national tour of American Idiot. His regional credits include Ruined directed by Liesl Tommy (Huntington Theatre Company, Berkeley Repertory Theatre, La Jolla Playhouse), Coalhouse in Ragtime, Guys and Dolls, and an opening performer for Bernadette Peters and Brian Stokes Mitchell (New Jersey Performing Arts Center). He has been seen on television on "Blue Bloods," "Gravity," and "NYC 22" and on film in Thanks for Sharing. He has been featured in several readings at The Public Theater, New York Stage and Film, Lark Theatre Company, and many others.

Robert Christopher Riley (Jay) has appeared on Broadway in Lombardi and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. His other theatre credits include Chasing Manet (Primary Stages), Fences (Hartford Stage), and Joe Turner's Come and Gone (Center Stage). He currently stars as Terrence Wall on the television series "Hit the Floor." His other television credits include "Medium," "Nurse Jackie," "Royal Pains," Last of the Ninth, "Victorious," and "Law & Order: Criminal Intent." His film credits include The Bourne Legacy, Seasons of Love, Found Footage, The Trade Off, and Franny.

Ray Anthony Thomas (Wynton) was part of the Broadway company of David Mamet's Race. His Off Broadway credits include The Most Deserving (Women's Project), Volunteer Man, for which he received an Obie Award for Performance (Rattlestick Playwrights Theater), Kindness (Playwrights Horizons), The Exonerated, Saved or Destroyed, and Black Eagles (Manhattan Theatre Club), and A Midsummer Night's Dream (New York Shakespeare Festival/The Public Theater). As a member of Atlantic Theater Company, Thomas has appeared in Between Riverside and Crazy, Human Error, The Beginning of August, The Lights, Edmond, and Distant Fires. He has worked at many of the major regional theatres across the country, and his favorite credits include the original company of Water by the Spoonful (Hartford Stage, 2012 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, Connecticut Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Ensemble), Glengarry Glen Ross (La Jolla Playhouse), Proctor in The Crucible (Syracuse Stage), "Master Harold"...and the Boys (Westport Country Playhouse), Topdog/Underdog (City Theatre), A.M. Sunday (Actors Theatre of Louisville), Fences (Barrymore Award nomination), and To Kill a Mockingbird (Detroit Free Press Theatre Excellence Award for Best Supporting Actor). Thomas has worked on seven of August Wilson's 10-play cycle and was honored to appear in Fences and Jitney for NPR's August Wilson Century Cycle. His television and film credits include Their Eyes Were Watching God, "Rescue Me," "The Sopranos," "Oz," "Law & Order" (numerous episodes), "I'll Fly Away," Trouble with the Curve, Shutter Island, Pariah, Sleepwalk with Me, The Manchurian Candidate, and Changing Lanes.

Nicholas Vaughan (Scenic Design) is a New York-based visual artist and scenographer. As a member of the devised theatre company the TEAM he has designed sets for RoosevElvis, Mission Drift (Drama League Award nomination for Distinguished Production of a Musical), Architecting (sets and costumes), and Particularly in the Heartland. For Lorin Maazel's Castleton Festival he has created sets and costumes for Il Barbiere di Siviglia (co-production with the National Centre for the Performing Arts, Beijing), La Bohème (premiering this November at the Royal Opera House Muscat in Oman), L'Enfant et les Sortilèges, The Seven Deadly Sins, Il Trittico, Soldier's Tale, Master Peter's Puppet Show, The Turn of the Screw, Albert Herring, The Beggar's Opera, and The Rape of Lucretia. His other recent projects include How to Break and Sounding (HERE Arts Center), The Obie Award-winning Lily's Revenge (HERE/Taylor Mac), POOM2, POONARC, and Shredded (Yoshiko Chuma), and La Cenerentola, The Marriage of Figaro, and L'Ormindo (Curtis Institute of Music). He maintains an ongoing performance/installation art collaboration with his husband, Jake Margolin, currently developing 50 States, a series of installations in response to queer historical narratives, which will premiere at The Invisible Dog Art Center in 2016.

Denitsa Bliznakova (Costume Design) is happy to return to The Old Globe where she has designed Good People, Anne Christie, Groundswell, Jane Austen's Emma -- A Musical Romantic Comedy, The Whipping Man, Opus, and The Merry Wives of Windsor. Her work has been seen nationwide at venues such as San Diego Opera, Cleveland Play House, A Noise Within, New Repertory Theatre, Williamstown Theatre Festival, and others. Some of her highlights include working with Garry Marshall on Happy Days: A Family Musical! (Falcon Theatre) and Diva (Williamstown Theatre Festival). Her design and stylist credits for other media include music videos for various artists and films. A Bulgarian-born costume designer, her academic background includes a B.F.A. in Fashion Design from Parsons School of Design in Paris and New York and an M.F.A. in Theatre Arts from Brandeis University. Bliznakova is currently an Associate Professor at San Diego State University, where she leads the M.F.A. Costume Design program.

Austin R. Smith (Lighting Design) is a New York City-based lighting designer working in theatre, dance, opera, live music, and the intersection thereof. Previously at The Old Globe he designed Anna Christie. His other selected credits include Queen of the Night, When January Feels Like Summer (The Ensemble Studio Theatre), Charles Ives Take Me Home and Massacre (Rattlestick Playwrights Theater), Stand-Up Tragedy (site-specific), Jesus in India (Ma-Yi Theater Company), Regina Spektor's What We Saw from the Cheap Seats (world tour), Futurity (American Repertory Theater), Sleep No More (New York City), and Three Pianos (New York Theatre Workshop, Ontological-Hysteric Theater; Obie Award). He also continues a public art collaborations with visual artist Jarrod Beck. His upcoming projects include building RoosevElvis with the TEAM.

Matt Hubbs (Sound Design) recently designed the Globe production of Time and the Conways. He has also designed Stage Kiss (Playwrights Horizons), Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812 (Kazino, Ars Nova), Marie Antoinette (Soho Repertory Theater, American Repertory Theater, Yale Repertory Theatre), Three Pianos (New York Theatre Workshop, American Repertory Theater), How We Got On, Death Tax, and A Devil at Noon (Humana Festival of New American Plays), Futura (National Asian American Theatre Company), The Human Scale (The Public Theater), Telephone (The Foundry Theatre), Hammock, The Matter of Origins: Tea, Blueprints of Relentless Nature, and 613 Radical Acts of Prayer (Liz Lerman's Dance Exchange), and the National Playwrights Conference (The Eugene O'Neill Theater Center). A company member of the TEAM, he has designed RoosevElvis, Mission Drift, Architecting, Particularly in the Heartland, and A Thousand Natural Shocks.

Caparelliotis Casting (Casting) recently cast the Globe productions of Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike, Water by the Spoonful, Time and the Conways, Bethany, The Winter's Tale, The Few, Double Indemnity, The Rainmaker, Other Desert Cities, Be a Good Little Widow, A Doll's House, The Brothers Size, Pygmalion, and Good People. Their Broadway casting credits include It's Only a Play, Disgraced (upcoming), Holler If Ya Hear Me, Casa Valentina, The Snow Geese, Lyle Kessler's Orphans, The Trip to Bountiful, Grace, Dead Accounts, The Other Place, Seminar, The Columnist, Stick Fly, Good People, Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo, The House of Blue Leaves, Fences, Lend Me a Tenor, and The Royal Family. They also cast for Manhattan Theatre Club, Second Stage Theatre, Atlantic Theater Company, LCT3, Ars Nova, Goodman Theatre, Arena Stage, Ford's Theatre, and three seasons with Williamstown Theatre Festival. Their recent film and television credits include HairBrained with Brendan Fraser, "Odyssey" (upcoming, NBC series), "How to Get Away with Murder" (ABC pilot), "Ironside" (NBC), and Steel Magnolias (Sony for Lifetime).

Annette Yé (Stage Manager) served as stage manager for The Old Globe's Quartet, Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike, The Few, Pygmalion, God of Carnage, Anna Christie, Groundswell, and the 2010 production of Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas! Her other Globe credits include A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder, Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas! (2011-2013), Boeing-Boeing, The First Wives Club, Opus, Dancing in the Dark, Hay Fever, and the Summer Shakespeare Festivals 2008 and 2010-2013.