Review - King Liz

I met playwright Fernanda Coppel a few years ago at a work event - she was so smart and interesting, I knew I wanted to see one of her plays.  When Second Stage Uptown announced they would be doing her new play, King Liz, in their space at the former Promenade Theater, I marked my calendar and got a ticket.  The run has recently been extended, so you should get a ticket, too.

King Liz is about the high-powered world of professional sports (in this case, basketball) and how a high-powered woman negotiates her way through it.  Super-agent Liz Rico has been toiling at her agency for over twenty years, expertly handling high-profile clients, and when her boss casually mentions he's going to retire, she assumes that she'll be taking over his position as CEO.  Of course, in the boys-club that is professional basketball, her promotion is not a sure thing.  Her boss tells her that if she can secure the newest high-school basketball sensation as a client, it will do a lot to influence the board that Liz is the 'man' for the job.  Liz has concerns about the boy, especially because of his troubled past, but sees similarities in her rise from the projects to what the boy could achieve, so she decides to take him on.

How Liz persuades the young player, Freddie Luna, to become her client and how she builds him up and simultaneously tears him down, is what drives the plot.  But Liz's evolution is what drives the emotion of the play.  I greatly enjoyed watching King Liz and I've been thinking about it pretty constantly since last night.  I was so engrossed throughout and was mostly on board for all of the plot's twists and turns (there were a couple that made me think, 'ummmmm, really?', but I went with them).  There was wonderful tension throughout that kept me on the edge of my seat.  The dialogue was strong and realistic, as were the characters, especially Liz. 

photo credit: Carol Rosegg

Plays with strong female protagonists, especially women of color, are so few and far between that I was thrilled to watch actress Karen Pittman sink her teeth into such a juicy character.  From her first entrance, Liz is a woman to be reckoned with, someone who has persevered in the face of casual racism and sexism, even in her office.  Pittman perfectly captures the public face vs the private face of a successful woman in a usually-male domain.  As the play progresses and it becomes harder and harder for Liz to compartmentalize effectively, I couldn't help but be so moved by her internal conflict.

photo credit: Carol Rosegg

I was also very impressed with Jeremie Harris as Freddie Luna, who captured the innocence and arrogance of a young athlete.  You rooted for him, yet despaired for him at the same time, and that tricky balance was maneuvered wonderfully by Harris.  I also enjoyed Russell G. Jones as the seen-it-all coach who has a few secrets of his own, and Michael Cullen was smooth and yet slimy as the head of the agency.  There were other members of the cast I wasn't as enamored with, but they didn't lessen my enjoyment of the play as a whole. 

I really thought King Liz was bold, smart and told me a story I haven't seen depicted on stage before.  I'm a bit of a sports fan myself, so I could understand all the references to players and teams and current backstage gossip.  I think, though, that even if you're not a sports fan, you'll find much to appreciate in this play.  It's directly briskly and has quite a bit of humor mixed with the tension of the story, and, to me, it ended someplace unexpected.  Plus, you'll be lucky enough to see a terrific actress at the top of her game.  I highly suggest you pick up a ticket and check out the play before it closes in mid-August.  And I'm definitely going to be keeping an eye on what playwright Coppel presents next...