Richmond Shakespeare To Present KING JAMES By Rajiv Joseph

Richmond Shakespeare will present KING JAMES, the comedy by Pulitzer Prize finalist and Obie Award winner Rajiv Joseph, at Virginia Repertory Theatre’s Theatre Gym in Richmond.

The production will be staged in the intimate black box venue, placing audiences close to the action as the play traces an unlikely friendship shaped by basketball devotion.

Set against the real-life arc of LeBron James’s career in Cleveland, KING JAMES follows Shawn and Matt, two men from different backgrounds whose bond forms—and strains—over years of shared fandom. As LeBron’s journey unfolds, the play explores loyalty, disappointment, ambition, and identity, using sports as a lens for how people connect and define themselves.

Artistic Director James Ricks said the play speaks to contemporary relationships and the ways fandom can become a foundation for connection. Director Rick St. Peter noted the work’s balance of humor and emotional insight, describing it as a character-driven examination of friendship that also engages with debates familiar to sports fans.

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