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October 22 - November 29, 2026
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The Royale

“I don’t want you to lose,
Not one bit,
But I am afraid of what happens when you win.”
– Nina (The Royale)

  • Written by Marco Ramirez
  • Directed by Tyrone Phillips
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A Black boxer in the Jim Crow era risks it all for his shot at making history.

"The music of the sweet science of boxing has seldom been played as resonantly as it is in Marco Ramirez's absorbing drama."
– The New York Times 

Synopsis

The Royale

Jay is a really good boxer, so good they call him “The Sport.” He’s won his last seventy-six fights and has his sights set on being crowned the next heavyweight champion. But it’s 1905, and in the Jim Crow era, a Black man doesn’t get to fight a reigning white champion.

When a surprising chance at the title appears, Jay gears up for the fight of his life—where the stakes are staggeringly high inside the ring and out. Inspired by real-world boxer Jack Johnson, this adrenaline rush of a play by Marco Ramirez (Orange is the New Black, Buena Vista Social Club) is a kinetic and poetic portrayal of what it takes and what it costs to make history. 

Our Upcoming 2026/27 Season

Written by Matthew Libby

Directed by Jessica Thebus

Aug 13, 2026 - Nov 8, 2026

Up Next

Written by Marco Ramirez

Directed by Tyrone Phillips

Oct 22, 2026 - Nov 29, 2026

Adapted for the stage by Emma Rice

Adapted from the play Still Life and the screenplay Brief Encounter, both by Noël Coward

Directed by Shana Cooper

Music Direction by Matt Deitchman

Feb 11, 2027 - Mar 28, 2027

Written by August Strindberg

Adapted by Jen Silverman

Directed by Braden Abraham

Apr 8, 2027 - Jul 3, 2027

Book by Hershey Felder

With music by Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Chopin, Bartok, Liszt, Rachmaninoff, Gershwin and Williams

May 5, 2027 - Jun 27, 2027

Alexandra C. & John D. Nichols Theatre

325 Tudor Court Glencoe, Illinois, 60022

Accessibility

Fully ADA accessible with wheelchair seating available

Parking

Free parking is available in the Tudor Court lot, and street parking is readily available

Seating Map

Scope out your seat before the show