The Livingston PostCan you handle the truth?
Well, one of the local theatrical truths is that the current production of “A Few Good Men,” playing at the Community Theatre of Howell for one more weekend, is simply awesome. And you should definitely plan on seeing it before it closes next Sunday.
Based on an early stage version which was on Broadway in 1989 but ran only a few performances, and then the later much more famous 1992 film version by Aaron Sorkin, it is based on a real-life event in which a Marine recruit was murdered during a “Code Red” hazing incident at Guantanamo Bay. This is a courtroom drama about the trial of two Marine recruits for complicity in the death of a fellow Marine at the American military base in Cuba.
Defending them is a callow young Navy lawyer more interested in his softball games than in the case. The lawyer initially plans on a quick and easy plea deal and a cover up of what really happened, and a quick exit from the scene, thereby sacrificing the two recruits on trial. But all bets are off when the two young Marines refuse to take a plea insisting that they did nothing wrong.
Prodded by a female member of his defense team, the lawyer eventually gets serious and makes a valiant effort to defend his clients, and in so doing puts the military mentality and the Marine code of honor on trial. The saddest part of the whole scenario is that all parties think they are doing the right thing, either blindly following orders as they are supposed to do, or leaders thinking that there aren’t many parameters around acceptable leadership behavior as long as the result is a loyal Marine.
This CTH production is blessed with an embarrassment of riches in terms of having acting talent galore and everyone in the capable hands of Director Annelise Hoshal, directing her first production for CTH. But we certainly trust that she will be on that director (or actor) deck again very soon.
She chose a script that required the work of 18 men (men!) (and men who can act), something that is usually in very short supply for most community theaters. But somehow she worked her magic and has gathered the cream of the crop for this play which features many new faces to our stage. The play also features one female, the conscientious attorney Lt. Commander Joanne Galloway, who somehow manages to hold her own surrounded by all this testosterone.
Playing the callow young attorney, Lt. JG Daniel Kaffee, is the very talented Ross Freeland, who has been seen in several CTH productions including “Arsenic and Old Lace,” “Noises Off!” and “The Importance of Being Earnest,” among others.
As the perfect foil to Kaffee’s youth and inexperience is the crusty old codger who runs this military base, Col. Nathan Jessup, played by Kevin Rogers. He does a brilliant job of recreating the Jack Nicholson role – no easy feat – but Rogers nails him. And he gets to deliver Jack Nicholson’s most famous line, “You can’t handle the truth!” which Rogers spews at Kaffee during the famed courtroom scene.
This line, by the way, was actually provided to the play’s author by another rather well-known film personality, Steven Spielberg, and has become one of filmdom’s most well-known quotes. Rogers has been seen on the CTH stage in many roles including “Shrek,” “Noises Off,” “Dirty Rotten Scoundrels” and has directed “Young Frankenstein” and “Aladdin, Jr.” He will also be directing the fall production of “Beauty and the Beast” for CTH.
This high point of the story, the wild eruption by Jessup when he is trying to justify his orders for the hazing (to make Marines out of them!), is so well done that I was literally holding my breath during the confrontation between Jessup and Kaffee. And so was most of the audience who sat spellbound by the raw emotion of these two totally committed actors. We won’t ruin the story by mentioning any spoilers but the ending is dynamic and unexpected.
Playing the one female in the show, Lt. Commander Joanne Galloway, is an actor new to CTH, Alexandra Glenn, who does a masterful job of asserting herself in the midst of all these macho military types. In fact, given decades of Hollywood convention, we might reasonably expect romance to blossom between Kaffee and Galloway, providing a few gratuitous love scenes before the courtroom finale, but no.
They’re strictly business – so much so that it seemed odd to some of the critics that these two good-looking, unmarried young people don’t feel any mutual attraction. Some film executive has suggested that perhaps the Demi Moore role was first conceived as a male but at a later date was turned into a female for Broadway and Hollywood box office reasons. Doesn’t matter. The character we have now, becomes the catalyst for the change for the better by the shallow playboy, Kaffee. And that seems just right. Isn’t it usually the female with the common sense? I thought so.
Playing the hapless pair on trial for the murder are Jackson Manning (Lance Cpl. Harold Dawson) and Ryan Dymkowski (Pfc Louden Downey). They maintain strict military bearing throughout and their favorite words seems to be “Sir! Yessir!” (said some 164 times in the play!) These two were perfect for these roles, totally committing to the whole military mumbo jumbo.
Another talent new to CTH, Jeff Litten, plays the third member of the Defense Team (Lt. JG Sam Weinberg). He does an excellent job of trying to just be a fly on the wall and do what he’s told in Act I, but in Act II, he finally explodes with his dissenting views on the whole proceeding.
Brian Bickel who plays the Judge, is appropriately officious and brooks no nonsense nor does he suffer fools kindly. You may have seen him in the recent drama, “Inherit the Wind,” as Brady, or as Tevye in last summer’s “Fiddler on the Roof.”
Another rather new actor to the CTH stage, Dane Douglas, does a masterful job with the large and demanding role of the prosecutor, Lt. Jack Ross. Dane has only had a couple of minor roles prior to taking on this major role; he handles it like a pro.
Another standout performance was by Justin Schnute, who plays Lt. Kendrick, the basic training boss. He sure had me quaking in my boots when he was growling commands at the poor recruits. This is his fourth CTH show and we anticipate many more first-rate performances by this guy.
Mark Mazzullo, playing Capt. Isaac Whitaker, has tackled his first role in a non-musical play which he pulls off with class. You may have seen him previously in “Shrek,” “Young Frankenstein” and “Dirty Rotten Scoundrels,” among many others.
Rounding out this stellar cast are Gary Hull, Bruce Pena, Mackenzie Elliott, David Wagner, Mark Asaro, Chris O’Dell, Jonathan Myers and Nick Gronow. Many of these newer actors to the CTH stage are dads of some of the group’s young actors who are getting in on the on-stage fun themselves.
A near-professional staff helped launch this fabulous production. Stage Manager was Rick Spangler who handled the incredible number of set changes perfectly using his camo-wearing crew. Tech Director Heather Douglas kept a close watch on the lights and sound, also flawlessly carried out.
The set, a masterful maze of different level platforms all of which served as a variety of locales, was built by Frank Soerries. Set dress was by Charlotte Hoshal, props were by Molly Scruggs and costumes were by Julie Michel. Special bravos to Julie for finding all of these completely authentic military uniforms and she even had the correct ribbons and hardware decorating each costume. Box Office was chaired by Michele Barnaby.
Pulling it all together in spectacular fashion was Producer Theresia Rogers.
Director Annelise Hoshal carried out her very particular and appropriate vision for this show with great attention shown to every detail. She moved that cast around with excellent precision, and all of the set changes were fast and choreographed precisely. She knew how to bring out the best in her cast, especially all of the cast who had never darkened a stage before.
The Community Theatre of Howell’s “A Few Good Men” runs for one more weekend: Friday, May 20 at 7:30 p.m.; Saturday, May 21, at 7:30 p.m.; and Sunday, May 22, at 2 p.m. Tickets may be purchased online at cththeatre.org or at one of CTH’s outlets: Maria’s School of Dance in Fowlerville; Kahuna Coffee in Hartland; Blue Frog Books in Howell. You may also call 517-545-1290 for tickets.
