REVIEW: 'King James' explores a friendship built around LeBron James

Photo: King James stars, from left, Glenn Davis and Chris Perfetti. Photo courtesy of Craig Schwartz Photography / Provided by BBB with permission.

NEW YORK — Rajiv Joseph's new play, King James, follows Shawn (Glenn Davis) and Matt (Chris Perfetti), two strangers who bond over their love of basketball and eventually become best friends. Their closeness develops over the years thanks to their specific love for LeBron James and their hometown Cleveland Cavaliers. At first, Matt is trying to unload the rest of his season tickets for James’ rookie season, and Shawn is a prospective buyer. Through carefully crafted conversations, Shawn and Matt realize they have a lot in common, and their relationship starts to build beyond a ticket transaction.

King James, on its surface, may seem like a slight play with not much of a plot, but there are many surprises and gems to be found when spending two hours with Shawn and Matt. At its heart, the play is the dissection of a friendship (and falling apart) of two men whose identity, for better or worse, is closely tied to their favorite basketball player and their favorite basketball team.

Enough cannot be said for the acting feats achieved by Davis and Perfetti, who are perfectly cast in this two-hander. Davis, the artistic director of Steppenwolf Theatre Company where King James began, portrays Shawn as a dedicated fan who is determined to catch some live games during James’ rookie season. He's also a writer and hopes to one day make it big in Hollywood. Perfetti's Matt works at a wine bar and has had run-ins with his parents who don't believe he's realizing his full potential. That's actually why he needs to sell the remainder of his season tickets; his parents are cutting him off financially.

Over the course of four scenes, which jump ahead in time by several years, the audience comes to learn how Shawn and Matt connect (and disconnect) in many other matters besides basketball. They have a shorthand with each other when it comes to talking about this beloved game, but they also expand the conversations to more serious topics, like family, careers, race and racism, girlfriends, and the potential toxicity of fandom.

Joseph doesn't seem interested in cookie-cutter characters that expound on topical issues for the benefit of the audience. He lets Shawn and Matt naturally develop their friendship on stage, and their conversation, typically fast-paced and often hilarious, feels natural and authentic. Joseph has a definite skill in creating dialogue that is perfectly at home with his two creations.

It doesn't hurt that Joseph is assisted by the exquisite direction of Kenny Leon, a theater veteran who captures the right beats and rhythms of the dialogue, and keeps the story intimate and finely focused. It's a nice touch to include DJ Khloe Janel to spin some tracks before the play and during intermission.

Joseph is also aided by these towering performances from Davis and Perfetti. Davis, seen in last season's Downstate at Playwrights Horizons and on Broadway in Joseph's Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo, imbues his character with believability and humor, hurt and expectation. It's easy to root for Shawn's career trajectory to leave Cleveland (a bone of contention between the friends) and realize his dreams in New York City or Los Angeles.

Perfetti, known for TV's Abbott Elementary, plays Matt as a jumble of simultaneous confidence and nervousness. He bites his nails as he thinks, and he spouts off his viewpoints about the basketball team as if his opinions were facts. In the end, the two characters learn to lean on each other, so much so that they feel pangs of guilt when they move, emotionally and physically, apart.

Manhattan Theatre Club, which is presenting the show at NY City Center Stage I through June 18, is showcasing an important American play with expert performances and something important to say about friendship. The ultimate message remains unique to each individual audience member's interpretation.

By John Soltes / Publisher / [email protected]

King James, by Rajiv Joseph, is directed by Kenny Leon and stars Glenn Davis, Chris Perfetti and Khloe Janel. Running time: 2 hours with a 15-minute intermission. Playing through June 18 at NY City Center Stage I, courtesy of Manhattan Theatre Club. Click here for more information and tickets.