The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis concludes its 2016-2017 Studio Theatre season with The Royale by Marco Ramirez, directed by Stuart Carden.
A boxing drama in which bouts are staged as bursts of musical rhythm, this fresh piece runs March 8 - 26 in the Emerson Studio Theatre of the Loretto-Hilton Center for the Performing Arts. Rising black prizefighter Jay "The Sport" Jackson dominates his opponents, but the harsh social realities of the early 1900s force him to fight twice as hard to earn recognition outside of the ring. Loosely based on iconic fighter Jack Johnson, The Royale brings us ringside to one man's quest for victory against all odds. In addition to his award-winning theatrical works, playwright Ramirez has written for TV shows such as Orange Is the New Black, Daredevil and Sons of Anarchy. He's currently a co-showrunner on Netflix's Marvel superhero series, The Defenders. The cast is filled with Rep debuts, starting with Akron Lanier Watson as Jackson. Watson most recently appeared in the ensemble for the Broadway revival of The Color Purple. Samuel Ray Gates appears as Jackson's trainer, Wynton. The rest of the cast includes Lance Baker (Max), Bernard Gilbert (Fish), Bria Walker (Nina) and Webster University students Maalik Shakoor and Jarris Williams (ensemble).Videos