‘Man in the Ring’
Huntington Theatre Company tells story of boxer Emile Griffith
“Man in the Ring,” a play about the life of boxer Emile Griffith, opens at Huntington Theatre Company on Nov. 16. Through Griffith is known for his exceptional boxing talents, which led to the death of an opponent, his life was much more nuanced not least of all because of his identity as a gay man in the 1960s. “Man in the Ring” explores the full human spectrum of Griffith.
The role of Griffith is shared by Kyle Vincent Terry (“Gotham”) and John Douglas Thomas (“Carousel” and “Jitney” on Broadway). While Thomas sits in a nursing home dealing with dementia pugilistica from his boxing career, he reflects on the major experiences in his life. Terry, depicting a younger Griffith, acts out those memories. Terry has encountered the physicality of boxing before. He worked on the fight choreography of “Royale” last year at Merrimack Repertory Theatre and he’s now training at Peter Welch’s boxing gym in Southie to stay in form for the show. For both actors, the play between Griffith’s physicality and sensitivity is key to the production.
“There’s so much conversation about how physically perfect he was as a boxer. Finding the person who’s that physically gifted in the sport but also has this incredible, gentle spirit, is not a story we often get. Especially for dark skinned people,” says Terry.
An immigrant from the Virgin Islands and a queer black man, Griffith was dealing with challenges that are still highly relevant. Thomas says his story represents a cautionary tale, what can happen to a person who is never able to reveal their true self. Terry says this threat is doubled for people of color.
“One thing I’ve always been very aware of is the way you are perceived as an able bodied, confident, dark skinned man,” says Terry. “There is an inherent threat in many people’s eyes. And how you navigate that can often create a shell that’s durable and takes the abuse. Inside is who you actually are.”
Though dealing with a sometimes-tragic American story, “Man in the Ring” is a full sensory theater experience. It incorporates immense physicality in the on-stage boxing scenes and a heavy musical component, bringing in traditional Caribbean and West Indian rhythms. Thomas says even Griffith’s West Indian speech has a musicality to it. The show offers humor and heart where there has previously only been a ring and two fighters.
Thomas says, “It’s important for me as an African American man to tell this story to people who look like me.”
