Geva Presents the Kitchen Theatre Company Production of THE ROYALE

Geva Theatre Center's 2018-2019 Fielding Studio Series concludes with The Royale, written by Marco Ramirez. This production comes to Geva from the Kitchen Theatre Company in Ithaca, N.Y., with the original cast and design team and is directed by Pirronne Yousefzadeh. The production begins performances on April 11 and runs in the Fielding Stage through April 28.

Get your ringside seats for this electrifying drama that packs an unforgettable punch. Boxer Jay "The Sport" Jackson wants to be the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world. But it's 1905, and in racially segregated Jim Crow America his chances are about as good as getting knocked out. From the award-winning writer of "Orange is the New Black" and "Sons of Anarchy."

Marco Ramirez has had plays produced at Lincoln Center Theater, the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts (DC), the Humana Festival (Louisville), The Old Globe (San Diego), the Bush Theatre (London), American Theater Company (Chicago), and Center Theatre Group (LA). Honors include the Outer Critics Circle's John Gassner Playwriting Award, Juilliard's Lila Acheson Wallace Playwriting Fellowship, Lincoln Center's Le Comte du Nouy Award, and TCG's Edgerton Foundation New Play Award. A WGA and Emmy Award-nominated TV writer, he is currently an Executive Producer and Showrunner of the high profile reboot of The Twilight Zone for CBS All Access alongside Jordan Peele and Simon Kinberg. Previously, he was the showrunner on Marvel's The Defenders (Netflix), and was an Executive Producer on Marvel'sDaredevil (Netflix). Other TV credits include: Sons of Anarchy (FX), Orange is the New Black (Netflix), Da Vinci's Demons (Starz), and Fear the Walking Dead (AMC).

The Royale premiered at the Kirk Douglas Theatre in Los Angeles in 2013. It ran at the Bush Theatre in London in 2015 and Off-Broadway at the Mitzi E. Newhouse Theater at Lincoln Center in 2016. This production was originally staged at the Kitchen Theatre in Ithaca from March 10 - March 31, 2019. The Royale marks the sixth Kitchen Theatre Company production that has appeared in Geva's Fielding Stage.

The cast of The Royale make their Geva Theatre Center debuts in this world premiere. Jamal James (National tour of The Color Purple, TV'sGotham) is Jay; Sean Meehan (CBS's Elementary, Madam Secretary, Shades of Blue and The Good Wife) is Max; Rochester native DazMann Still (TV's Bull and The Last O.G.) comes home to play Fish; Lisa Tharps (Broadway productions of King Hedley and Love's Fire: Fresh Numbers and TV's Jessica Jones, Power, Madam Secretary, and Elementary) is Nina; and Alexander Thomas (Toronto productions of The Royale, Hangman, A Girl Lives Alone and The Nails) is Wynton.

The Royale is directed by Pirronne Yousefzadeh whose recent productions include the world premiere of Gabriel Jason Dean's Heartland at Geva last season and The Lake Effect in 2017. She is the Associate Artistic Director and Director of Engagement at Geva Theatre Center and has directed at theatres around the country including The Public/Joe's Pub, New York Theatre Workshop, Ars Nova, Soho Rep, Ma-Yi Theater Company, Ensemble Studio Theatre, Williamstown Theatre Festival, Actors Theatre of Louisville, La Jolla Playhouse, Huntington Theatre Company, Cleveland Play House, Pioneer Theatre Company, and InterAct Theatre Company, among others. The creative team includes Seth Reiser (Scenic and Lighting Designer), Sarafina Bush (Costume Design), Chris Lane (Sound Design), and Rocio Mendez (Movement Coordinator).

www.gevatheatre.org

Photo by Theresa Mogil

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