Wheaton's 'Few Good Men' is an intense, satisfying drama

April 3, 2008

By Randall G. Mielke SPECIAL TO THE BEACON NEWS

If a theater award was ever given for an Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Role Previously Made Famous by Another Actor, Keith deBolt would win it hands down. deBolt currently is appearing as Lt. Col. Nathan Jessep in Wheaton Drama's production of A Few Good Men. The Jessep role was previously performed by Jack Nicholson in the movie of the same name. Nicholson's portrayal of Jessep is probably best remembered for the line "You can't handle the truth."

But the cast and crew of this production was able to handle everything efficiently and effectively, and with great ease. They presented a riveting production of an intense play.

A Few Good Men, written by Aaron Sorkin, opened on Broadway in November 1989 and was made into a successful film in 1992. In addition to the aforementioned Nicholson, the film cast included Tom Cruise and Demi Moore.

Set in 1986, A Few Good Men is a military courtroom drama which looks at the death of a young private who is known for his short-comings as a Marine. Two members of his unit, Pfc. Louden Downey (played by Mark Woodfork) and Lance Cpl. Harold W. Dawson (played by Jordan Stone) have been arrested and face murder charges. Things become more complicated as a team of young Navy lawyers, including Lt. j.g. Daniel A. Kaffee (Michael Morrissey), Lt. j.g. Sam Weinberg (Chris Williams) and Lt. Cmdr. Joanne Galloway (Jennifer Ciombor), take on the seemingly open-and-shut case.

The play unfolds through a series of flashbacks, trips to the base where the lawyers encounter the rigid Lt. Col. Jessep (deBolt), and the trial. All during the play, Galloway pushes Kaffee to accept the responsibility of finding the truth, even if it means uncovering a high-level conspiracy.

The play crackles with crisp dialogue and irreverent humor. Michael Morrissey, as the inexperienced and wise-cracking Kaffee, seems well-suited for the role. His buoyant good nature and flippant remarks help speed the play along.

The aforementioned deBolt is also impressive. He and director Joan Morrissey wisely chose not to try to match Nicholson's intense portrayal, but toned things down a bit. The Jessep portrayed in the Wheaton Drama production seems to be a little more off-centered, maybe a little more maniacal, than the Nicholson portrayal. When the time came for the big lines made famous by Nicholson to be delivered, deBolt downplayed them, conveying some of them almost as an afterthought. It was an excellent choice and an incredible portrayal. Morrissey and deBolt made the right decision in presenting the character in this fashion.

Other notable portrayals included Ciombor as Galloway; Tony Farruggio as Lt. Jack Ross, the prosecuting attorney in the trial; Scott Neidl as Capt. Matthew A. Markinson; and Stevan Vujic as Lt. Jonathan James Kendrick. Vujic was especially impressive as a stern, unflappable Marine, and Neidl effectively portrayed a dedicated, but troubled, officer.

The only minor negative aspect of the play was the set, which was not very creative. Certainly a sparse set is effective for the prison cell scenes and the courtroom scenes, but the scenes played in Kaffee's apartment do not even remotely reflect a home's interior. In one sequence, Kaffee's apartment was just seconds earlier a jail cell. Certainly audience members must suspend belief on occasion, but nothing was done to alter the mood or give the feel that this area of the stage was anything more than a platform with a wire fence behind it. It is difficult for audience members to make that kind of adjustment. Even if the scene were shaded in a different light, that might help make the transition.

As for the other lighting cues (and there were many), they were excellent. The timing was perfect as lighting designers Roger Hicks and Jim Van De Velde and their crew did a superb job of hitting the cues precisely when they were needed. It helped make the play move a bit faster.

Director Joan Morrissey put together an impressive cast and presented a nearly flawless play. It is an intense, yet satisfying, evening of drama. A Few Good Men is a few good hours well spent.