One-week Extension for King James

“The audience wins every night!”
—The San Diego Union-Tribune

The Old Globe
announces a one-week extension
due to popular demand for
the funny and energetic play
King James,
by Pulitzer Prize finalist Rajiv Joseph,
directed by Justin Emeka

Performances are NOW extended
through April 7 ONLY!

Tickets for the extension are
now available at www.TheOldGlobe.org

PHOTO EDITORS: Photos of the Globe’s production of King James can be found here.

SAN DIEGO (March 19, 2024) –Due to popular demand, The Old Globe is pleased to announce a one-week extension for its critically acclaimed production of King James. The play, written by Pulitzer Prize finalist and Obie Award winner Rajiv Joseph (Broadway’s Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo, Off Broadway’s Guards at the Taj) and directed by Justin Emeka (Pittsburgh Public Theater’s Sweat and American Son), opened on March 14, 2024 and is now extended with performances through April 7. King James plays at the Sheryl and Harvey White Theatre, part of the Globe’s Conrad Prebys Theatre Center. Tickets for the extension are now on sale at www.TheOldGlobe.org.

The breathtaking career of NBA icon LeBron James is the backdrop for this energetic and funny play. Shawn is Black and Matt is White, and they couldn’t be more different—except for their love of the Cleveland Cavaliers. The friendship that develops between them, at turns contentious and compassionate, becomes something as enduring and profound as James’s legacy itself. Interwoven with moments of camaraderie, laughter, and poignancy, King James dives into the heart of basketball fandom and highlights the profound connections that sports can cultivate.

San Diego critics are raving about The Old Globe’s production of King James. “An enormously entertaining comedy! No basketball knowledge is necessary to enjoy King James. It’s more a touching and funny story on the game of life and—no spoilers—the audience wins every night,” says The San Diego Union-Tribune. “This show is delightfully entertaining, celebrating the enduring love of friendship,” states BroadwayWorld. And San Diego Stage and Screen exclaims, “King James is a show like no other—it’s a delightful, funny, sometimes even charming portrait of male friendships and the male viewpoint. Don’t miss it!”

“I’m delighted that popular demand for this wonderful production is strong, and I’m pleased to give audiences more chances to see Rajiv Joseph’s beautifully written study of friendship, a subject that’s explored all too rarely on the stage,” said Erna Finci Viterbi Artistic Director Barry Edelstein. “The play is also about the way that sports transcend differences and bring people together regardless of their backgrounds. The brilliant and spectacular career of LeBron James and the gorgeous game of basketball hover in the background and give shape to this funny and touching story of two guys in Cleveland and the ups and downs of their lives. In the hands of the wonderful director Justin Emeka, making his Globe debut, King James is a memorable and completely beguiling evening of theatre.”

The cast for King James includes Joshua Echebiri as Shawn (The Old Globe’s Globe for All Tour production of Henry V, Off Broadway’s Partnership, Apple TV+’s “Dear Edward”) and Caleb Foote as Matt (CBS’s “The Kids Are Alright,” San Diego Repertory Theatre’s Hand to God).

Understudying Matt and Shawn are Danny Adams (Off Broadway’s The Office: A Musical Parody, Ozark Actors Theatre’s Sunday in the Park with George) and Kevin Alicea-Minor (A Red Orchid Theatre’s Is God Is, The Old Globe’s The Two Gentlemen in Verona), respectively.

Also, joining Joseph and Emeka as part of the creative team for the Globe’s production of King James are Lawrence E. Moten III (Scenic Design), Sarita Fellows (Costume Design), Abigail Hoke-Brady (Lighting Design), Lindsay Jones (Sound Design), Caparelliotis Casting (Casting), and Sam Allen (Production Stage Manager).

King Jameswill play on the Sheryl and Harvey White Theatre, part of the Globe’s Conrad Prebys Theatre Center in San Diego’s Balboa Park (1363 Old Globe Way). Performances are now extended through April 7. Tickets for the extension are now available at www.TheOldGlobe.org, by phone at (619) 23-GLOBE (234-5623), and in person at The Old Globe’s Box Office in Balboa Park (1363 Old Globe Way). Ticket prices start at $33. Visit www.TheOldGlobe.org for a full schedule and additional information.

Opening night post-show receptions for the cast and donors are held in Hattox Hall, located in the Karen and Donald Cohn Education Center.

Financial support of The Old Globe is provided by The City of San Diego. The Theodor and Audrey Geisel Fund provides leadership support for The Old Globe’s year-round activities.

Bios and photos of all participants can be found at www.TheOldGlobe.org/Press-Room.

The Tony Award–winning The Old Globe is one of the country’s leading professional nonprofit regional theatres. Now in its 89th year, the Globe is San Diego’s flagship performing arts institution, and it serves a vibrant community with theatre as a public good. Under the leadership of Erna Finci Viterbi Artistic Director Barry Edelstein and the Audrey S. Geisel Managing Director Timothy J. Shields, The Old Globe produces a year-round season of 16 productions of classic, contemporary, and new works on its three Balboa Park stages, including its internationally renowned Shakespeare Festival. More than 250,000 people annually attend Globe productions and participate in the theatre’s artistic and arts engagement programs. Its nationally prominent Arts Engagement Department provides an array of participatory programs that make theatre matter to more people in neighborhoods throughout the region. Humanities programs at the Globe and around the city broaden the community’s understanding of theatre art in all its forms. The Globe also boasts a range of new play development programs with professional and community-based writers, as well as the renowned The Old Globe and University of San Diego Shiley Graduate Theatre Program. Numerous world premieres—such as 2014 Tony Award winner for Best Musical A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder, Bright Star, The Full Monty, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, and Dr. Seuss’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas! —have been developed at The Old Globe and have gone on to highly successful runs on Broadway and at regional theatres across the country.

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