The vicissitudes of friendship are explored by Rajiv Joseph in his latest play, King James, which is in a world premiere run at the Mark Taper Forum.
Matt (Chris Perfetti)and Shawn (Glenn Davis) are Cleveland natives who bond over a mutual love for the city’s pro basketball team, the Cavaliers, whose star is Le Bron James. Matt and Shawn meet when the former is trying to peddle his Cavaliers season ticket package. Matt is something of a loser; having lost all his money, he’s scraping by as a bartender and is desperate to get out of debt by charging a fat price for his tickets. He’s white, by the way, which makes it somewhat unlikely that he could ever become best friends with the African-American Shawn, who comes out of the ‘hood and has a tough-guy edge that contrasts with Matt’s nerdiness. But what links them is their die-hard love of the Cavaliers and its “king.”
Racial differences are overcome as Matt and Shawn realize that they are alike in many ways: they are young men who don’t quite fit into society, have bad luck with women, and are unhappy most of the time. What deepens their discontent is the fear that Le Bron, entering free-agency, might chose to leave the Cavaliers and play for another team.
Being a hard-core sports fan is akin to belonging to a cult. Blind belief in the team and its leader is the norm, but when that leader betrays his followers they are left shattered and embittered. That’s what happens in King James when Le Bron announces, on national TV no less, that he is “taking his talents to the South Bay.” The disillusioned Matt announces he no longer will support the Cavaliers (or any other pro team); the angry Shawn turns his back on Cleveland altogether and relocates to Los Angeles, where he pursues a career as a TV writer.
The action in King James takes place over a span of several years. When Matt and Shawn finally reconnect, in the trinket shop which Matt is managing, they are older and regretful of the way they parted company over the abdication of King James. They are also cheered by the news that Le Bron intends to sign with the Cavaliers again: “it’s the return of the prodigal son,” one of them proclaims.
It also signals the possibility of their friendship being renewed. This is something they both need, as each has remained an outsider. Alienated as they are, they are still hungry for some kind of meaningful human connection. That’s what King James leaves us with, the possibility that these two lost souls might become pals again.
Joseph’s two-character play is thin on story and is repetitive in places, but thanks to the remarkable performances of Davis and Perfetti, its flaws fall by the wayside, making for a satisfying and worthy night in the theater.
