GableStage opened its 26th season with King James, a fun, intense, slightly drab two-man drama examining adult male friendships and fandom. The play has a Miami-centric theme as it revolves around the career of Lebron James. (We even get a pre-recorded PSA from Miami Heat legend Udonis Haslem, reminding everyone to shut off their phones.)
Like basketball, King James is divided into two halves, or four quarters. The timeline revolves around Lebron’s career. His rookie year in 2004. 2010 and the year he made “the decision” to take his talents to South Beach. (Miami is not South Beach, for the record). 2014, the year he went back to Cleveland. And 2016, the year the Cavs beat the Warriors to win the NBA championship.
The play is not about basketball, although yes, basketball is indeed a topic of conversation throughout.
King James at GableStage
King James is about the awkward friendship between Matt (Gregg Weiner) and Shaun (Melvin Huffnagle), two adult men from Cleveland with not much in common.
Think The Odd Couple meets Clerks meets The Bear.
It’s a comedy but also stressful, layered in dynamics following race, class, the pursuit of dreams and the failure of living up to family expectations.
Matt is an aspiring businessman who can’t quite make his parents happy. He’s white, entitled, headstrong and stubborn. We meet him at his wine bar where he’s selling season tickets to Sean. The tickets are his dad’s (Matt’s been going to games since a kid) but his dad can’t go anymore and Sean needs money due to a bad investment, so he is forced to sell the tickets.
Sean is black, hard-working, introspective and humble. He’s an aspiring writer who has money to buy the tickets because he just sold a short story. Sean, a diehard fan, has never been to a game.
Alas, the unlikely friendship begins.
King James Review
No spoilers, but the play is filled with a series of micro-aggressions wrapped in a white savior complex reaching a thrilling climax in a tense third quarter.
To speak in basketball puns: King James is at times out-of-bounds and flagrantly foul. Only to then sizzle with shot after shot, swishing the storyline, dunking and reversing the plot points, bringing it home in a dynamic, crowd-pleasing manner, where it’s safe to say the home team has won.
We think it’s a slam-dunk!
Actors Gregg Weiner and Melvin Huffnagle display wonderful chemistry and range, with more than enough talent to carry the rock without traveling. Scenic designer Frank Oliva put together two solid sets worthy of an assist. Rookie director Ruben Carrazana needs to work on the story’s pace and emotional cues, but expect rebounds as the show goes through its run.
The game is not over until you catch King James for yourself and decide.
King James is playing at GableStage until November 24th.
FOR MORE INFO AND TICKETS CLICK HERE.
This article was published with the support of the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs and the Cultural Affairs Council, the Miami-Dade County Mayor and Board of County Commissioners.
Pics provided by Magnus Stark.
