The Royale by Marco Ramirez is an enthralling, powerful story inspired by the life of Jack Johnson and the price he and the Black community paid for him becoming the Heavyweight Champion of the World. For 90 minutes, we get a historical glimpse into the world of Jay "The Sport" Jackson, a dynamic, charismatic Black boxer who dominated the "Negro Heavyweight" circuit. However, despite his remarkable accomplishments, he is still not considered the champion of the world, as the societal white organization refuses to allow Black and white fighters to step into the same ring together. Determined to be considered the heavyweight champion of the world, Jay has to fight Bernard Bixby, the undefeated white heavyweight champion of the world, but Bixby is retired. Jay demands that his promoter set up "the fight of the century" and agrees to the terms of the white fighter getting 90% of the purse. In "The Royale," Jay faces the realities of racial tension, segregation, violence, and intimidation during the Jim Crow era, and the belief among many white individuals that they were superior fueled a hostile environment for Blacks. Marco Ramirez highlights the struggles Jay and the broader Black community faced while striving for equality. Throughout the play, Jay faces unknown threats from white men that his promoter had to remove. His sister, Nina, played outstandingly by Anji White, plays a crucial role in highlighting the stakes of his quest and the potential repercussions of his success, telling him that his defeat of a white champion would bring a violent backlash against all Black people, exposing them to increased hostility.
The cast includes La' Tevin Alexander (Jay), Scott Aiello (Max), Ajax Dontavius (Fish), James Vincent Meredith (Wynton), and Anji White as Nina. The cast was outstanding, captivating the audience and keeping them engaged from start to finish. The scene between Alexander and White, in which she tries to convey the dangers of him defeating a white man, paints an unforgettable picture of the challenges Black individuals faced during that era. White embodies Nina's joy and pain, capturing the hope and fear within the Black community, and the pivotal final scene illuminates that joy and pain. Directed by Tyrone Phillips, Ramirez's play appeals not through dramatic individual scenes or remarkable performances, but through the sheer power of its narrative and dialogue. Each word echoes with profound significance, immersing the audience in a historical landscape where racism manifested as a weapon of hate and where one black man, who desired to reach the top of the boxing world, could negatively change the world and bring fear into black communities during the violent Jim Crow Era. The script's brilliance is that no punches are thrown during the fight scenes. The boxers use rhythmic body percussion, foot stomps, hand claps, and synchronized breathing as landed punches, and dramatic pauses let the audience hear inside a boxer's thoughts during the fights.
Ramirez also sidesteps racial tension, as the white boxer never appears on stage; instead, Jay fights through the lens of visualizing his sister. This choice emphasizes the importance of representation and the need for role models within the Black community. Through his eyes, Nina is on the boxing mat with him as he seeks to prove to her that his desire to win is for her and to provide for her and others like her with someone to admire—a figure who defies societal standards set by white individuals and a racially biased society she once sought to conform to. The title of the play is explained in one scene where Wynton, played by Meredith, tells the story of his youth, when he was part of a "battle royale" in which young Black boys were blindfolded and forced to fight each other in a ring for the entertainment of white audiences. Wynton uses this narrative after Jay is confronted with the cost of winning against a white man to explain to him that when he gets into the ring, he's alone, so he decides to win or lose on his own. The audience is left to wrestle with the characters' weight of injustice and societal constraints.
The Royale offers an authentic look into a volatile time when Black people sought to climb the ladder of success, only to be reminded that their skin color mattered more than th content of their character. It’s a spectacular blend of boxing and historical events that dramatizes the trials and tribulations of dreams realized and deferred. Mainstream white society never accepted Jack Johnson championship and sparked widespread race riots against black communities after he defeated Jim Jeffries. Someone in the audience asked me if I thought there was a reason why this play was performed now. Was there a message about race relatons in this country today? My answer was that racism doesn't disappear; it's just more out in the open. The Royale is a reminder of the dangers and ways we use race over the reality that we are all from the same race: humans.
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Writers Theatre
The Royale
Written by Marco Ramirez
Directed by Tyrone Phillips
October 22 - November 29, 2026
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