By Paul Love
Guest Reviewer
A Few Good Men, which premiered on Broadway in 1989, is a story of murder and intrigue (based on true events) amid the world of the US military. It was written by award-winning playwright Aaron Sorkin, who didn’t waste any time writing a film version, which arrived in theatres a mere three years later. Ajax Community Theatre is currently presenting the stage version at the St. Francis Centre in Ajax.
Two marines stationed in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, have been charged with the murder of a fellow marine. Daniel Kaffee (Robert Magee), a young hotshot lawyer, is chosen as the counsel for the accused because he is known for effectively making plea deals. Lieutenant Commander Joanne Galloway (Marisa King), an ambitious attorney, has studied the case and believes that the accused are not the murderers they are made out to be, and that they were, in fact, following orders from further up the chain of command.
The real challenge for the production team was effectively presenting substantial set pieces and a cast of 19 on St. Francis’s intimate stage. I will admit that this concern was in the back of my mind as the show was about to start; however, this concern was quickly forgotten. Kudos to all those involved in the creation of a set that fit comfortably on the St. Francis stage and allowed the actors to move about seemingly unrestricted. Special credit to Director and Set Designer Michael McFarland for designing a set that evoked the settings of the play (the courtroom in particular), and having his cast use it sensibly throughout the show.
Ms. King gives a heartfelt and passionate performance as Commander Galloway, garnering the audience’s support almost instantly. There is an earnestness to her character that would no doubt be required of a woman fighting for respect in the male-dominated US military. Mr. Magee gives a very expressive performance as Lieutenant Kaffee, mixing wisecracks with moments of frustration and deep concern. Chris Coculuzzi gives a strong performance as Lieutenant Colonel Jessep, the powerful, quick-tempered head honcho of the US Marines stationed in Guantanamo. Mr. Coculuzzi creates a character who does not swagger or boast —he is simply in charge, and he does his job however he sees fit because he is “in the business of saving lives.” There are many actors who, when taking on the role of Jessep, would be unable to avoid the influence of Jack Nicholson’s performance in the film version; fortunately, Mr. Coculuzzi is not one of them. Some powerful moments occur between Mr. Coculuzzi and Mr. Magee during their courtroom showdown. Lincoln Trudeau, as Kaffee and Galloway’s co-counsel, Lieutentant Weinberg, uses great dry-wit delivery to inject some nice humour into his scenes. Kai Novak does a great job in his performance as the prosecuting attorney, Lieutenant Ross. Matt Walker gives a memorable performance as the scarily intense Lieutenant Kendrick. Kudos also to Kevin Shaver in his performance as Jessep’s second-in-command, Captain Markinson, particularly for the emotionally powerful scene in which he writes a letter to the parents of the deceased. Adeptly taking on the roles of the two accused marines are Jason Abdool as Lance Corporal Dawson, and Reid Pierson as PFC Louden Downey. Mr. Abdool portrays Dawson as a strong, self-assured marine with a good heart, who is coming to terms with the fact that he has no choice but to allow the US military machine to grind him up in its gears. Reid Pierson, who would not allow a nasty cold to defeat him, portrayed Downey as a simple, well-meaning young soul lost in the chaos surrounding him.
If you’re in the mood for intense courtroom drama mixed with some great humour, check out Ajax Community Theatre’s production of A Few Good Men.
Performances are at the St. Francis Centre, 78 Church St. S., in Ajax. Remaining performances are February 13-15, at 8 pm. Tickets are available on the website.
(L-R): Chris Coculuzzi, Kevin Shaver, Matt Walker, photo by Dave Edwards
Jul 8 2020 - Editor’s note - The previous header image has been removed at the request of Jason Abdool who appeared in it.