Montego Glover, Robert Christopher Riley and More Star in The Old Globe's THE ROYALE, Opening Tonight

The Old Globe presents 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 through November 2 in the Sheryl and Harvey White Theatre, part of the Conrad Prebys Theatre Center. Opening night is tonight, 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.

Photo Credit: Jim Cox