A SAMUEL FRENCH, INC. TITLE

King Liz

Full-Length Play, Drama  /  3w, 3m

Sports agent Liz Rico has money and an elite client roster but a woman in a man’s industry has to fight to stay on top.

  • Cast Size
    Cast Size
    3w, 3m
  • Duration
    Duration
    120 minutes (2 hours)
  • SubGenre
    Subgenre
    Not Applicable
  • Audience
    Target Audience
    Adult, Teen (Age 14-18)

Details

Summary
Sports agent Liz Rico has money and an elite client roster but a woman in a man’s industry has to fight to stay on top. She’s worked twice as hard to get where she is and wants to take over the agency that she's helped build. Enter Freddie Luna, a high school basketball superstar with a troubled past. If Liz can keep this talented yet volatile young star in line, she just might end up making not only his career, but her own as well. But at what price?
History
King Liz premiered at Second Stage Theatre Uptown in New York City in July 2015 under the direction of Lisa Peterson.

LIZ RICO – 40's, African American, a powerful sports agent, scares men.
GABBY FUENTES – 30's, Latina, Liz's assistant, a disgruntled overachiever.
MR. CANDY – 60's, the CEO of a top sports agency, a self-starter, liberal when it's convenient.
FREDDIE LUNA – 19, Afro Latino, a star basketball player, naive, deffensive, a diamond in the rough.
COACH JONES – 50's, African American, head coach of the New York Knicks, terrified of getting fired.
BARBARA FLOWERS – 50's, a world-renowned journalist with a prime time investigative TV show.

  • Time Period Contemporary, New Millennium/21st Century
  • Setting New York City. 2015.
  • Features Contemporary Costumes/Street Clothes
  • Duration 120 minutes (2 hours)
  • Cautions
    • Alcohol
    • Strong Language

Media

“Bright and sharp-elbowed... a provocative snapshot of the meat-grinder world of professional sports.” – Chicago Tribune

“Ms. Coppel’s dialogue is finely honed, her characters drawn with a keen sense of both their forceful drives and inner conflicts.” – The New York Times, Read More

“The play never stumbles, it keeps you gasping with excitement, entertainment value and polish, introduces a fine new writer who is going places, and makes a star out of Karen Pittman. I was overwhelmed.” – Observer, Read More

“Bright and sharp-elbowed... a provocative snapshot of the meat-grinder world of professional sports.” – Chicago Tribune, Read More

King Liz is a welcome addition to the theatrical landscape. Coppel's writing — particularly the self-aggrandizing pitch Liz delivers to the young basketball protégé Freddie Luna – can be razor-sharp, with juicy zingers sprinkled throughout.” – TheatreMania, Read More

“Coppel's quick-witted, whip-cracking dialogue... ensure(s) that things always unfold on exactly the time frame they should, without sacrificing tension, suspense, or theatricality along the way.” – Talkin' Broadway, Read More

ON BREAKING CHARACTER

Scene Study and Classroom Reading: Plays for Colleges and Universities
by Becca Schlossberg
August 23, 2019

The Humanity of Athletes in King Liz 
by Garrett Anderson
October 27, 2017

Videos

  • KING LIZ cast on Fernanda Coppel's writing youtube thumbnail

    KING LIZ cast on Fernanda Coppel's writing

  • KING LIZ cast on Liz Rico youtube thumbnail

    KING LIZ cast on Liz Rico

Licensing & Materials

  • Minimum Fee: £55 per performance plus VAT when applicable.

    Please submit a license request to determine availability.

Scripts

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Authors

Fernanda Coppel

Born in Mazatlan, Sinaloa, Mexico, Fernanda Coppel moved to New York to pursue an MFA in Dramatic Writing at NYU on a full scholarship and received the University’s John Holden Playwriting Award upon graduation. Shortly after, Fernanda was accepted into the Lila Acheson Walla ...

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