Civic's 'Few' A Fine Drama

Civic's 'Few' a fine drama

Sorkin's well-know tale of Marines' court martial still engrossing

REVIEW

BY JENN MCKEE

The Ann Arbor News

Though Aaron Sorkin originally wrote “A Few Good Men” as a stage play, you get the sense, when watching the Ann Arbor Civic Theater’s two and a half hour production, that Sorkin had a film in mind all along.

Why?

Because even when dealing with a scaled-down, simple set, A2CT’s crew must repeatedly cart tables and chairs on and off stage to accommodate the script’s many scene changes. And at times, all this effort is in service of mini-scenes that last only a few seconds. Once you get beyond this clunkiness, though, you can’t deny Sorkin’s ability to create compelling characters; write smart, sharp dialogue; and tell a good yarn.

“Few” focuses on the court martial trial of two Marines -Private Downey (Sha James Beamon) and Lance Corporal Dawson (Brandon Cave) - who are accused of murdering a fellow Marine at Guantanamo Bay. The case lands in the lap of Harvard-educated attorney Daniel Kaffee (Carl Ellison), who seems more invested in softball than in work; but then pushy Lt. Commander Jo Anne Galloway (Wendy Ascione) manipulates her way onto the defense team, convinced that the case is more complicated than it first appears.

Director Andy Ballnik stages the action effectively (with help from lighting designers Melissa Elliott and Tiff Crutchfield), and keeps the dialogue moving at an appropriately brisk, clear pace; yet the quality of his actors’ performances varies.

Ellison, for his part, is well-cast, natural, and funny as a man who’s finally pushed to test his own capabilities. In smaller roles, Cave, James Brown, Robert Roy, Brad Peters, and particularly Edmond Reynolds all deliver strong performances. Sam Zwetchkenbaum, meanwhile, has the daunting task of playing zealous Lt. Colonel Nathan Jessep - the role so memorably played by Jack Nicholson in the film - and his over-the-top affectation too-closely echoes that actor’s portrayal. Ascione successfully delivers some of the

play’s funniest lines, but her Galloway would have nonetheless benefited from more subtle emotional modulations and hints at vulnerability.

Ultimately, if you’re afraid the film version of “Few” might be too fresh in your own mind, don’t be; I’ll bet you get caught up in Sorkin’s engrossing story all over again - and unlike the truth, you can handle that.

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"A Few Good Men"continues through Sunday at the Arthur Miller Theatre in the Walgreen Drama Center, 1226 Murfin in Ann Arbor. How much: $20 ($ 17 for students and seniors). To reserve tickets, call 734-971-2228; to find out more about the show, visit www.a2ct.org.