She is King: A Play About Tennis Legend Billie Jean King

Friday, May 01, 2015

Kemea Smith, GoLocalPDX Contributor

Boom Arts Presents She is King

Boom Arts presents She is King, a inspirational production about tennis superstar and feminist icon Billie Jean King.

She is King recreates King’s real television interviews from the ‘70s complete with period video technologies, fitting hairdo’s from the time and speech from real-world sources.

The cast features two New York- based actors and a group of local 11 to 16 year olds, from Girls Inc. who are named Ball Kids. The Ball Kids are King’s camera crew throughout the production and perform short snippets in between interviews. The Girls Inc. partnership, gives young actresses the opportunity to learn about King and how she revolutionized women’s and sports history.

She is King lead artists will also be leading youth workshops during their Portland visit with the help of Campfire Columbia, Outside/In, and Portland After School Tennis & Education (PAST&E).

Each performance will end with a informative and interactive discussion about King’s legacy and Portland’s women and sports history. Special guests include; ESPN’s first woman broadcasters Ann Schatz, National Women’s Sports Advocate Diana Cutaia, and former Portland State softball coach Teri Mariani.

King won 39 grand slam singles, doubles and mixed doubles tennis titles in the 1960s. She also beat chauvinistic tennis player Bobby Riggs during a televised “Battle of the Sexes” match in 1973. The match is still the most-watched tennis match in history. When King came out in 1981, all of her supports turned the other way. King continues to advocate on behalf of gender equality in sports and received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Obama in 2009.

Boom Arts will present 10 performances only of She is King, Thursdays through Sundays May 28-June 7, at CoHo Theatre, 2257 NW Raleigh Street in Portland. For more information and to buy tickets, click HERE.