Review: Hard Hitting ROYALE at ACT Examines Consequences of Being First

Let me start, Dear Readers, by saying I have never had an appreciation for boxing. I've just never understood why it's important to find out who can beat up someone else the best or, alternatively, who can take a beating the best. Having said that, the current production of Marco Ramirez's stirring play "The Royale" at ACT is not about boxing. Sure the backdrop of the story is boxing but moreover it's about the choice to take personal groundbreaking victories even in the shadow of danger to your friends and family. And that is a much more interesting fight than who can punch who the hardest.

But as we are locked into the boxing genre I'll explain the plot their way. We meet Jay Jackson (Jarrod M. Smith), a boisterous boxer and the African-American Heavyweight Boxing Champion of the early 1900's. There isn't anyone he can't beat including the young upstarts that come his way such as Fish (Lorenzo Roberts) who comes close but is ultimately knocked out. Now Jackson wants his next challenge, to beat the white Heavyweight Boxing Champ proving he's the best of them all. His manager and promoter (G. Valmont Thomas and R. Hamilton Wright) warn against poking this hornets nest but Jackson's mind it set leaving the questions can he actually beat him and at what costs.

The story is quite simple yet poignant but it's the way it's told that sets it apart. With rhythmically charged stomps and claps combined with the isolated fight choreography, Ameenah Kaplan's direction along with Ramirez's script innovatively give us a look, not at the external fight but the internal fight of the characters as we see their actions but hear their inner monologues. It's a bit difficult to describe but suffice to say it's a thrilling sensation for both the eyes and ears and even somewhat immersive as the audience is enlisted to add to some of the beats as well.

Thomas and Wright are each wonderful not only as the facilitators of the champ's fight but also as an extension of his conscience. Roberts manages the perfect introduction to his character in the opening fight not only bringing us into the world but also making us care about this young fighter while saying very little. But it's Smith as the too proud champ and Zenobia Taylor as his worried sister who truly blew me away. Smith manages the perfect amount of swagger and braggadocio to keep us on his side to the point that we barely notice his layers being stripped away to show his true reasons for fighting. And Taylor starts off soft but then comes on quite strong, as she becomes the real opponent in the ring.

I don't want to say too much lest I give it all away and with a short 70 minute show this is easy to do. Suffice to say it's a terribly powerful look into a volatile time with an ending that will leave you feeling like you got the knockout punch. And so with my three letter rating system I give ACT's "The Royale" a still reeling YAY. I may not care for boxing but I feel fortunate to have seen this fight.

"The Royale" performs at ACT through October 9th. For tickets or information contact the ACT box office at 206-292-7676 or visit them online at www.acttheatre.org.