Cleveland Play House Packs Punch With The Royale

Cleveland Play House (CPH) sets up the boxing ring and goes back to one of the biggest fighting events of the 20th Century with The Royale. Written by Emmy Award nominated TV writer, producer, and playwright, Marco Ramirez brings forth a vocabulary in The Royale that expresses the narrative through physical motion and percussion. The Royale, sponsored in part by Robert Paul & Margaret Kennedy, will be performed in the Outcalt Theatre from May 5th - May 27th under the direction of CPH Associate Artistic Director Robert Barry Fleming.

It's the early 1900s and Negro Heavyweight Champion Jay "the Sport" Jackson challenges his white counterpart to "the fight of the century." Tensions are high and Jay knows that even if he wins the bout, the fight for equality and acceptance will continue. Playwright Marco Ramirez (Daredevil, Orange is the New Black), transports audiences back to Jim Crow America and into the boxing ring, with an electrifying look into the mind of this remarkable fighter. The Royale is inspired by the real-life experiences of Jack Johnson (1878 - 1946), the first African-American heavyweight world champion. The bells sound and the stakes are high as The Royale packs an emotional punch. The match is revealed through imaginative staging in a highly theatrical and percussive manner. The physicalized vocabulary of the fight will evoke how visceral this match would be and heightens the rising pressure Jay has felt throughout his life and career.

The Royale made its premiere at Center Theatre Group in Los Angeles in April 2013, and has since been featured at Lincoln Center in the Mitzi E. Newhouse Theater. The play was the winner of two Obie Awards, an Outer Critics Circle Award, and a Drama Desk Award. In its short time, The Royale has emerged onto the theatre scene with force in the United States and United Kingdom. At CPH, The Royale will run as the centerpiece of New Ground Theatre Festival (NGTF), which provides the chance for playwrights to develop and showcase their work while offering Cleveland audiences the opportunity to see remarkable new plays come to life. The Festival will run from May 11th - May 19th. NGTF would not be possible without the generous support of Honorary Producer Roe Green.

CPH Associate Artistic Director Robert Barry Fleming, director of this production, stated, "It's an exciting show set in 1910, but it's executed with the hip-hop swagger of 2018," and ensures that this show will leave audiences with an adrenaline rush.

The Royale will be performed in the Outcalt Theatre at Playhouse Square May 5-May 27, 2018. Tickets range in price from $25-$110 each, $15 rush tickets for currently enrolled students under age 25 with valid student ID, and Young Professional discounts available with YP-CPH Membership. To order single tickets please call 216-241-6000 or visit clevelandplayhouse.com. Groups of 10+ save up to 50% off single ticket prices; call 216-400-7027.

Subscriptions: Subscribers save up to 17%. Flexible season packages available. To purchase subscriptions or get more information, call 216-400-7096 or visit clevelandplayhouse.com

Cleveland Play House, founded in 1915 and recipient of the 2015 Regional Theatre Tony Award, is America's first professional regional theatre. Throughout its rich history, CPH has remained dedicated to its mission to inspire, stimulate, and entertain diverse audiences across Northeast Ohio by producing plays and theatre education programs of the highest professional standards. CPH has produced more than 100 world and/or American premieres, and over its long history more than 12 million people have attended over 1,600 productions. Today, Cleveland Play House celebrates the beginning of its second century of service while performing in three state-of-the art venues at Playhouse Square in downtown Cleveland. clevelandplayhouse.com

Cleveland Play House is made possible in part by state tax dollars allocated by the Ohio Legislature to the Ohio Arts Council (OAC). The OAC is a state agency that funds and supports quality arts experiences to strengthen Ohio communities culturally, educationally, and economically. Cleveland Play House is supported in part by the residents of Cuyahoga County through a public grant from Cuyahoga Arts & Culture.

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