This Greenville Journal article by Paul Hyde was originally published on April 3rd, 2025. Photo: Paul Mehaffey
The Warehouse Theatre will stage one of the most produced plays in the country in the past few years, Rajiv Joseph’s “King James,” running April 4-20.
“King James” is a comedy about two men, Matt and Shawn, who forge a friendship through a shared love of their hometown Cleveland Cavaliers and its erstwhile superstar LeBron James.
From their mutual love of sports, the two engage in amiable arguments, exploring friendship, family, ambition and other topics in brisk, witty dialogue.
“You do not have to know anything about basketball to enjoy this play, as what the guys are talking about isn’t really basketball but their views on life and friendship,” said Mike Sablone, The Warehouse Theatre’s producing artistic director.
Funny and moving
“It’s rare to find a play that focuses on contemporary male friendship, but the fact that it comes from a Pulitzer Prize finalist, one of our great writers, Rajiv Joseph, is no surprise,” Sablone added. “I have known Rajiv for years and this play is a beautiful culmination of his talents, equally funny as it is moving. There is a reason the play is so widely produced, and I’m thrilled we get to bring it to the Upstate.”
The cast features two actors making their Warehouse debuts, with Caleb Clark as the entrepreneur Matt and Enoch King as aspiring writer Shawn.
This production at The Warehouse Theatre is helmed by returning director Ahsha Daniels, who recently staged The Warehouse’s “Pipeline.”
