The Royale is just one example of the ugly, ritualized degradation practiced in the Old South. Fit, African American men are blindfolded and forced to fight one another, while wealthy white men shout racist invective and throw coins. The last one standing was permitted to scoop up the coins. This is the image at the center of Marco Ramirez’s The Royale, a drama inspired by the life of Jack Johnson, the first prize fighter in American history to go up against a white prize fighter.
Set in 1908, in a boxing arena, The Royale includes Jay Jackson, his sister, his sparring partner, his trainer, and his agent. It is a sequence of brief, powerful scenes that culminate in his confrontation with the white boxing champion. It explores the overwhelming cultural forces at work, as Jay tries to galvanize his resolve. It is not enough to believe in himself, he must consider death threats, rioting, the paltry sum he will receive if indeed he does succeed. After that his tribulations may continue. The systemic racism so firmly embedded in American society is so ferocious, so volatile, that being on the side of the angels seems cool comfort at best.
It’s worth noting the recent revival of certain shows, in the midst of current political upheaval and the resuscitation of evils some thought were buried and forgotten. In The Royale, set over a hundred years ago, Ramirez makes it clear just how little traction racial equality has actually managed. His race fable swings between the painful and the heartbreaking, the exhilarating and the sobering. He presents an inspiring, brave, downtrodden hero that is asked to forfeit more than most.
We usually associate heroism with accolades, or at least recognition. In Jackson’s case, he must rise above the vindictiveness of compatriots, and those who cared for him deeply and feared his persecution after the fact. Like the best dramas, The Royale demonstrates that the truth we discover in history is not always so easy or so simple. How African-Americans are too often summarily punished for wanting anything but subjugation.
Kitchen Dog Theater presents the regional premiere of The Royale, playing March 1st – 19th, 2018. 2600 N. Stemmons Fwy, Suite 180, Dallas, Texas 75207. (214) 953-1055. www.kitchendogtheater.org