Supporting the Arts in Western Massachusetts and Beyond

February 15, 2025

Review: TheaterWorks Hartford, "King James"

TheaterWorks Hartford, Hartford CT
www.twhartford.org
through March 2, 2025
by Jarice Hanson
 
Photo by Mark Marques
Rajiv Joseph, the playwright who penned King James, now on stage at TheaterWorks Hartford, obviously loves language. Set in Cleveland over a period of 12-years, Joseph shows his knack for colloquial speech, and in this well-crafted piece, his clever wordplay is a joy. He was a Pulitzer Prize for Drama finalist in 2010 for his Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo, and he won an Obie for Best New American Play for Describe the Night. The initial 2022 production of King James at the Steppenwolf Theater in Chicago garnered rave reviews. Undeniably, Joseph is an American playwright who understands Americana.
 
Director Rob Ruggiero capitalizes on his two actors’ distinct physicality to bring out the comedy of these characters who become friends over a mutual love of the Cleveland Cavaliers, and especially, LaBron James.
 
Gregory Perri (Matt) and George Anthony Richardson (Shawn) may be an unlikely pair for a bromance, but the duo develop a chemistry through the four snapshots of their friendship that smacks of reality and life’s ironies. Told in sections, or “four quarters” a la basketball game, this odd couple portrays a solid reminder that real friendship grows over time, despite life’s ups and downs.
 
The set, stunningly designed by Luke Cantarella, is detailed and realistic, i.e. a mid-level wine bar that magically turns into Matt’s parents’ eclectic neighborhood antique store/upholstery shop. The vibe is quintessentially midwestern, as are the values the men share. Matt aspires to own his own wine bar, and Shawn is destined to become a writer. Over the four quarters, the playwright shows the audience how his characters are drawn into their stories.
 
Perri and Richardson are a wonderful team, and their wordplay is fast and funny. The jokes are well set-up and each land with meaning. When Matt lists names of the women he’s dated, including “Katie and Katie 2,” Shawn doesn’t miss a beat when he lets Matt know that the likely reason his engagement failed was that he kept referring to his intended as “Katie 2.” These are the things that only good friends can say to each other, and those in the audience are happy to see people who care about each other enough to be honest, even when they may not be that honest with themselves. 
 
Point should be taken about the oftentimes delivery of Matt's lines which were directed toward the back wall of the stage. In an intimate setting like TheaterWorks, this seemed to create a little unevenness between the characters, to some degree implying that Matt’s nervous energy was being defused. This may have been intentional, but because both actors had such expressive faces, it would have been lovely to see more of a reaction to each other—though the decision may have been to keep the focus on the words, and that’s a fine choice too.