THE ROYALE CLEVELAND PLAY HOUSE | Marco Ramirez (playwright); Robert Barry Fleming (director); Jason Ardizzone-West (set designer); Alan C. Edwards (lighting designer); Toni-Leslie James (costume designer); Jane Shaw (sound designer); Preston Butler III, Brian D. Coats, Leo Marks, Jonny Ramey, Nikkole Salter (actors).

PRESS

CLEVELAND.COM REVIEW
"We know know it's over before it begins and still, we lean in, pulled by the gravitational force of this gripping, pulse-pounding production, staged thrillingly - and well - in the round. It's one of the smartest uses of the adaptable Outcalt Theatre, designed to change shape depending on the needs of a show, since it opened in 2010... Robert Barry Fleming, his superb team of designers and as perfect a cast as anyone could hope for capture the intensity of the sport without anyone landing a punch... Instead, actors stalk the edge of the ring, often with their backs to each other and facing the audience, a brilliant use of the always challenging arena theater model... Fleming matches the strength of the playwright's language in every facet of his flawless production. Everything is lean, no fat anywhere. The set by Jason Ardizzone-West is empty of everything but bodies and light. The dreamlike quality of his ring is a physical expression of the "body percussion" that is the music of "The Royale." Actors snap, clap, slap their thighs and stomp, human rhythms that echo the rhythmic hits Jay delivers to a heavy bag... "The Royale" is magnificent, the final moments as startling as the taste of blood in the mouth"
Cleveland.com (Andrea Simakis, The Plain Dealer)

BROADWAY WORLD REVIEW
"The production, itself, filled with foot-stomps, handclaps, and fist bumps, is outstanding, exceeding the material, itself. The cast, the effective directing by Robert Barry Fleming, CPH's Associate Artistic Director, and the technical aspects, are all of high quality... Jason Ardizzone-West's set design, Alan C. Edwards' lighting, Jane Shaw's sound design and Toni-Leslie James' costume designs all enhance Fleming's script interpretation..."
Broadway World (Roy Berko)

COOL CLEVELAND REVIEW
"The spare and effective scenic design by Jason Ardizzone-West evoked George Bellow's 1909 painting, "Stag at Sharkey's"... The final scene of this short play was unexpected, a dramatic surprise, and one that brought a telling finale..."
Cool Cleveland (Laura Kennelly) 

THE NEWS HERALD REVIEW
"The storytelling is comparatively sparse and intimate, stripped down to one act, five actors and a boxing ring. And it is given an expressionistic theatricality that doesn't so much serve to display the state of racism in this country as subtly remind us just how deeply ingrained it is in the American psyche. The show is spartanly staged in the round, where performers roam about and around the circular ring in dramatic silhouette as if frozen in time and space, courtesy of lighting designer Alan C. Edwards and scenic designer Jason Ardizzone-West's vision and craftsmanship."
The News Herald (Bob Abelman)