A Miami Premiere

November 1 – November 24, 2024

A touching examination of fandom and friendship

Made Possible By

Funding Arts Network 

Marc & Robyn Abrams

Jill & Hal Gaffin

Non-Profit Production Partner:

Teach for America

“King” LeBron James’ reign in Cleveland brings promise, prosperity, and renewal to a city in desperate need of all three. It also brings together two unlikely friends in a bond forged by fandom. Told over twelve years (from LeBron’s rookie season to an NBA Championship) King James is a clever, fast-paced comedy by Pulitzer Finalist Rajiv Joseph.

Actors Melvin Huffnagle (August Wilson’s How I Learned What I Learned) and Gregg Weiner (The Price) star in this intimate chronicle of two friends whose turbulent relationship is best navigated through their shared love of basketball. 

“…shoots and scores!” – New York Stage

Runtime: 2 hours 10 minutes  (includes one 15 min. intermission)

Melvin Huffnagle (SHAWN) is happy to return to GableStage where he was last seen as August Wilson in last season’s How I Learned What I Learned. Mr. Huffnagle currently serves as an Assistant Professor of Acting in FIU’s Theatre Department and is also a member of The National Michael Chekhov Association (NMCA). He has worked professionally as an Actor in NYC for over twenty years. Mr. Huffnagle is a ten-year member of The Layon Gray American Theatre in NYC where he originated numerous roles in the company’s many Off-Broadway productions; Cowboy (Gus) ,The Kings of Harlem Coach (Ben Coffey III), and Searching for Willie Lynch (Harlen Davis). Mr. Huffnagle also appeared as Jerimaih Jones in the company’s long-running and award-winning Black Angels Over Tuskegee. Melvin also appeared as Memphis in The M Ensemble’s production of Two Trains Running. Film and Television Credits include Striped Search, directed by Sidney Lumet, Law and Order SVU, Law and Order CI Royal Pains”, The Family Business, and the Award-winning short film Brooklyn In July. Melvin is a member of SAG and Actors Equity

Gregg Weiner (MATT) is thrilled to walk the stage here once again.  He was previously seen here in The Price in 2021. Recent theatre credits include The Great Leap, Our Town, Westminster, Seven Deadly Sins, and Every Brilliant Thing. Recent TV: Bad Money, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, and Magic City.

Gregg is a proud, three-time Carbonell Award winner, a Silver Palm and Best of New Times award recipient. He’s an NWSA Alumni and an AEA member. 

Ruben Carrazana is a theater artist originally from Miami. After working in the Dallas theater scene for several years, he moved to Chicago, where he currently lives. Stage acting and directing credits include Steppenwolf Theatre, Lifeline Theatre, Remy Bumppo Theatre, Dallas Theater Center, Kitchen Dog Theater, Undermain Theatre, BoHo Theatre, Stage West, and Second Thought Theatre. On screen acting credits include Chicago PD, Walgreens, Nordstrom, Frito Lay, Taco Bueno, and CAT Financial. He is represented by Grossman & Jack Talent.

Ruben is a recipient of grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, TACA, the City of Chicago, the Illinois Arts Council Agency, and the City of Dallas Office of Arts and Culture. He also co-founded The Tribe, a theater collective dedicated to the development of original work in Dallas, and named a Dallas Mastermind by the Dallas Observer. Ruben holds a BFA in Theatre from Southern Methodist University.

Thank You to our Season Sponsors 

Knight Foundation, the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs and the Cultural Affairs Council, the Miami- Dade County Mayor and Board of County Commissioners, The Biltmore Hotel, The Jorge M. Pérez Family Foundation- Crearte, The Shubert Foundation Inc., City of Coral Gables, and Grove Bank & Trust