A Few Good Men
By Joseph Cervelli
Aaron Sorkin's masterful military courtroom drama "A Few Good Men" opened back in 1989 and then a few years later was turned into an excellent film with Tom Cruise and Jack Nicholson. While the play holds up perfectly the big problem here is the venue which is the cavernous Vivian Beaumont Theater. So much gets lost here with a lot of movement further back on stage that as an audience member it is very easy to lose focus on what is happening downstage. Director Michael Arden seems to want to create more of a cinematic feel to the show so could swear you are on a soundstage where a movie is being created. Very bad idea. Dane Laffrey's spare and sometimes unnecessary set does not work to enhance the play. Do we really need the passenger airline boarding stairs to remain on stage for a good part of the show? The final tableau of a character standing on it is not necessary. The character's demise could have been handled more effectively.
The opening scene features the death of Marine Private William Santiago (Daniel Velez) on Guantanamo Base in Cuba. He was beaten and a cloth soaked with possible lactic acidosis. Lance Corporal Harold Dawson (Lavel Schley) and Private First Class Louden Downey (Collin Kelly-Sordelet) are accused for carrying out this heinous crime which we find out are under someone's orders. It is up to Lieutenant Junior Grade Daniel Kaffee (Tom Blyth) to prove their innocence. Kaffee's major experience in law has been to plea bargain cases and most successfully. Blyth's portrayal ofKaffee who is supposed to be kind of cocky delivers although it is more of a played down performance in the first act. He fares better in the second act’s courtroom scenes.
Apparently, Santiago was not up to the standards of a Marine and treated miserably. He wanted a transfer and Lieutenant Colonel Matthew Markinson (a very good Thom Sesma) was for it though the tyrannical Colonel Nathan Jessup (Bradley Whitford) very much against it. He orders First Lieutenant Jonathan Kendrick (John Zdrojeski) to continue training him. Zdrojeski gives a fully charged performance demanding perfection from his recruits. The scene where he is standing on a platform while a number of the recruits below him as he brandishes them is most effective and this fine actor is most convincing.
Kaffee's co-counsel much to his distain is Lieutenant Commander Joanne Galloway (Krysta Rodriguez) who is in Internal Affairs Rodriguez is a bit over the top here and would have been more effective if she took it down a few notches. Lieutenant Junior Grade Sam Weinberg also on the defendant's team is doing most of the "legwork." He is enjoyably played by Nick Blaemire. Galloway has a pivotal role in suspecting that a "Code Red" was used against Santiago. This is an "illegal form of hazing against a fellow Marine who has fallen out of line." The defendants' council is going to prove this is what indeed happened and they were only following orders
There are a number of questions that need to be answered during the case against the two on trial. Did Santiago have something prejudicial against Dawson, was Jessup really for the transfer or would that look bad on his record, what is going to happen to the two defendants if found guilty.
I am sure that many in the audience will be anticipating the memorable line from the play and film "You can't handle the truth" Jack Nicholson delivered with superb forcefulness. Whitford is basically fine though while on the stand I did not seen a build up of his anger. He just let go with the vehemence. For me the incomparable Stephen Lang who created the role of Jessup on Broadway had a detonating effect while being questioned and let out that famed line with almost a primal scream. And all in all Lang's performance was more effective.
There is a lot going on in this fine play and you really need no distractions which happen too frequently with the movement of sets. I am afraid that if you are not familiar with the play there are parts that can leave you a bit confused and under Arden's direction it might take a minute or two to figure out that about two scenes are flashbacks. That needs to be clarified. The dialogue about the time the plane supposedly came to the naval base and took Santiago away was glossed over. I remember that was something that needed to be dissected so the audience as to why it was or was not possible for Santiago to have take off from the island. Not sure why Sorkin nor Arden did not clarify this important part to a greater degree. I remember it was in the film and don't recall from the original production.
Even with the faults of this production I am grateful we are seeing it again on stage. Just wish it was at another venue and handled differently.
PHOTOS: Emilio Madrid
Tickets are available at the Vivian Beaumont Theater 150 West 65th Street or by calling 212.239.6200. Telecharge. com.
