by Otto Coelho

Fandom is an odd thing. It’s the kind of thing that can spark an all out battle in the stands of a soccer stadium in Europe or a lifelong friendship—and everything in between. 

TheatreWorks Silicon Valley takes on the latter of these with the regional premiere of Rajiv Joseph’s “King James,” now playing at the Mountain View Center of the Performing Arts. Taken at face value, it’s a simple story of a friendship that grows from the sale of a season’s worth of Cleveland Cavaliers tickets in 2004—LeBron James’ premiere season.  The premise is simple. When good stories about friendships are told well, however, there’s nothing simple about them. Please note: you do not have to be a fan of LeBron James, basketball, or sports to understand and enjoy this play. All you need is the desire to see good work.

With a two person play, there isn’t a lot of room for error. No worries, though–the actors are brilliant. Jordan Lane Shappell shines as Matt, the seller of the season tickets. Shappell’s arc for Matt is interesting to watch as he progresses from the unsettled goofiness of a directionless young man in the beginning across the twelve-year progression of the story. And Kenny Scott is terrific as Shawn, the fledgling writer. Scott starts Shawn off with a self-conscious energy that goes along with making what is probably the first multi-thousand dollar purchase of his life. The character takes some big swings, and Scott is swinging along with him. Watching these two men in their artful dance of friendship—all the highs and lows, success and failure, and occasional breakdowns—is the heart of the play. Shappell and Scott maintain the heartbeat and all its rhythms to perfection.

TheatreWorks artistic director Giovanna Sardelli has guided her actors well. Sets and costumes by Christopher Fitzer are perfect. I would give Fitzer an award just for how Shawn’s final costume made me feel. Steven B. Mannshardt’s lighting is terrific, as is Gregory Robinson’s sound design. 

Go see “King James” at Theateworks Silicon Valley. I can’t guarantee it’ll make you a basketball fan, but it will show you a good story told very well. 

King James continues through November 3rd at the Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts. For more information, click here.

Rating: **** (For an explanation of TheatreStorm’s rating scale, click here.)

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“King James” by Rajiv Joseph. Produced by TheateWorks Silicon Valley. Director: Giovanna Sardelli.  Scenic and Costume Design: Christopher Fitzer. Lighting Design: Stephen B. Mannshardt. Sound Design: Gregory Robinson. 

Cast:

Matt: Jordan Lane Shappell. Shawn: Kenny Scott