King James Review of Downstairs at Hampstead Theater

So it’s almost inevitable that Matt (Sam Mitchell) and Sean (Enyi Okoronkwo) (in the photo below) look like the guys I grew up with – okay, they look like me, I admit. They bond over their NBA team, the Cavaliers, squabble over the minutiae of ranking the best players in their sport, and, most notably, face the near-necessity of leaving to seek their fortune. But they always return to the absurdity shrouded in fandom, identity and history.

Matt is white, whiny, and angsty middle class, and when we first meet him in his early 20s, he’s stagnant with a rudimentary sense that his life should be more than it is. He can’t even find it in himself to properly rebel against his parents’ well-intentioned support, and directs his efforts toward dubious business ventures and an obsession with the Cavaliers and their decades-long quest for a Championship. When superstar player LeBron James unleashes his near-limitless potential on the court, he has to sell a couple of season tickets to pay off his debt.

Sean is a black, working class, confident, go-anywhere kid. He approaches the bar where Matt works and makes an offer for a fee, but Matt wants more – don’t worry, Sean pins him down for an estimate (street smart, as you can see) and soon gets the price he wants. But like Derek and Lamont American History XThe two hit it off, develop mutual respect, and find their lives changing as a result.

Rajeev Joseph’s play fits perfectly into the ground floor of the Hampstead Theatre, its director Alice Hamilton using the physical intimacy of the space to explore the psychological intimacy of a relationship that parallels the long career of LeBron ‘The King’ James himself. Shown in 100 minutes, including intermission, it’s almost as remarkable for the fact that there’s not much else it does.

In the lives of these two young people, not only are there no drugs, but also women (mostly), childhood traumas, or much else related to money problems. Reminds me a bit of Bob and Terry in Likely guysyou wonder what makes you interested in this somewhat unimpressive life.

Much of the alchemical magic of theater comes through in the writing and acting, both of which prove stunning in this captivating character study. Joseph’s dialogue is beautifully crafted, shifting subtly over time, constantly illustrating with its rhythm, vocabulary and warmth the tension and compensation that keeps Matt and Sean together. And it is the choice of a particular word that leads to the schism we all knew was coming, a word I was surprised to hear Matt use, but confused minds do confused things.

Both actors are super, they find great chemistry without even getting too sentimental. As power shifts back and forth between them, neither can resist hitting the open wound, but both know when they’ve done wrong and both have the humility to (eventually) fill the gaps. IRL can’t keep up feuds the way social media can. There’s also the benefit of Shawn never realizing how much pain Matt must be feeling whenever he talks about Matt’s parents, who would clearly prefer him to be their son. Perhaps this is his place – at least in Matt’s damaged psyche, and it explains the clumsy language that drove a wedge between them.

King James It’s too good-natured a play to be great, but it’s very good in its restrained ambition, unusual in that it refuses to introduce any thorny issues into a story that stands on its own two feet. Debuting in Europe after premiering in the US in 2002, perhaps LeBron’s remarkable coda to his storied career could inspire a sequel. I would certainly be interested to know what happened to these likely guys.