(NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ) -- George Street Playhouse presents King James from March 18 through April 7, 2025. Written by Pulitzer Prize finalist playwright Rajiv Joseph (Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo), the production is directed by Ryan George (GSP's The Club). King James is a funny and heartfelt look at loyalty, ambition, and celebrates the connections that keep us going.
Matt and Shawn, two Clevelanders, forge an unlikely connection over their shared passion for the Cleveland Cavaliers and rising basketball star LeBron James. Spanning 12 years, their friendship is shaped by the triumphs and challenges of both fandom and life itself.
The cast of King James includes Doug Harris (Waiting For Lefty) in the role of “Matt” and Blake Morris (Toni Stone) in the role of “Shawn.”
(LEFT) Doug Harris (RIGHT) Blake Morris
King James will feature scenic design by Frank J. Oliva (On Set With Theda Bara), lighting design by Amara Payton McNeil (Fabulation, or the Re-Education of Undine), sound design by Christopher J. Bailey (GSP’s What the Constitution Means to Me), costume design by Azalea Fairley (Eternal Life Part 1), and video design by Douglas Sharf (“Last Call: When a Serial Killer Stalked Queer New York”). Samantha Flint will serve as the Production Stage Manager, and Qixuan Sun will serve as the Assistant Stage Manager. Casting is by McCorkle Casting.
King James will begin previews on Tuesday, March 18 with an opening night set for Friday, March 21 for a limited run through Sunday, April 6, 2025. The performance schedule for King James is as follows: Wednesday – Saturday at 7:30pm and Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday at 2:00pm. Tickets are available now at www.georgestreetplayhouse.org. Note: There will be an additional performance on Tuesday, March 18 at 7:30pm. There will not be a 2:00pm performance on Thursday, March 20.
George Street Playhouse is hosting a Mix & Mingle Night on Wednesday March 26, following the 7:30pm performance. The company will offer an open captioned matinee performance in English, along with an open captioned evening performance in Spanish on Saturday, March 29. There will be a Sunday Symposium on Sunday, April 6 after the 2:00pm performance.
Under the leadership of Artistic Director David Saint since 1997, George Street Playhouse produces groundbreaking new works, inspiring productions of the classics, and hit Broadway plays and musicals that speak to the heart and mind, with an unwavering commitment to producing new work. As New Brunswick’s first producing theatre, George Street Playhouse became the cornerstone of the revitalization of the City’s arts and cultural landscape. Entering its 50th season, the organization has a rich history of producing nationally renowned theatre. The Playhouse continues to fill a unique theatre and arts education role in the city, state and greater metropolitan region. George Street Playhouse recently announced the appointment of Edgar Herrera as Managing Director, effective June 1, 2023. Beginning with the 2019-20 Season, George Street Playhouse moved to the New Brunswick Performing Arts Center in downtown New Brunswick. Featuring two state-of-the-art theatres—The Arthur Laurents Theater with 253 seats and The Elizabeth Ross Johnson Theater which seats 465—and myriad amenities, the New Brunswick Performing Arts Center marks a new era in the esteemed history of George Street Playhouse. Founded by Eric Krebs, George Street Playhouse, originally located in an abandoned supermarket on the corner of George and Albany Streets, was the first professional theatre in New Brunswick. In 1984, the Playhouse moved to a renovated YMCA on Livingston Avenue, and in 2017 took temporary residence in the former Agricultural Museum at Rutgers University during construction of its new home.
The Playhouse has been well represented by numerous productions both on and off-Broadway. In 2018, George Street Playhouse was represented on Broadway with Gettin’ the Band Back Together which premiered on the Playhouse mainstage in 2013. American Son, produced by George Street Playhouse in 2017, opened on Broadway in 2018 starring Kerry Washington and Stephen Pasquale, and was seen on Netflix. Other productions include the Outer Critics’ Circle Best Musical Award-winner The Toxic Avenger. In 2015, It Shoulda Been You opened on Broadway and Joe DiPietro’s Clever Little Lies opened off-Broadway. Both shows received their premieres at the Playhouse. Other productions include the Outer Critics Circle, Drama Desk and Drama League Award-nominated production of The Spitfire Grill; and the Broadway hit and Tony® and Pulitzer Prize-winning play Proof by David Auburn, which was developed at the Playhouse during the 1999 Next Stage Series of new plays.
George Street Playhouse programming is made possible in part by funds from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State, a partner agency of the National Endowment for the Arts. Grant funding has been provided by the Middlesex County Board of Chosen Commissioners through a grant award from the Middlesex County Cultural and Arts Trust Fund.
