About Cortland Repertory Theatre
CRT Debuts “A Few Good Men” for Next Production
The fifth mainstage summer production at Cortland Repertory Theatre will be the theatre’s debut of the timely and riveting courtroom drama A Few Good Men. From August 6 - 16, playwright Aaron Sorkin’s 1989 hit Broadway play marches onto the CRT stage in the Edward Jones Playhouse at the Little York Pavilion. Producing Artistic Director Kerby Thompson expresses his excitement at presenting this well known piece for the first time at CRT. “Many people are familiar with the 1992 movie but may not know that the original play enjoyed a very successful run on Broadway for 497 performances.” Thompson says. “I personally think it’s so much more enjoyable as a play. Not only is the excitement and tension more immediate because it’s right in front of you, but the script is so well written that it just grabs you at the start and doesn’t let go.” Bill Kincaid, who directed How the Other Half Loves and Almost Maine last summer, returns as show director. “It’s a perfect fit for Bill.” Thompson says. “He’s got a great eye for this style of play, and this incredible cast is having a great time working with him.”
The play tells the story of a team of rookie military lawyers assigned to a court-martial case defending two U. S. Marines accused of murdering a fellow platoon member. The young head lawyer, Daniel Kaffee, expects a plea-bargain and a cover-up of the truth, but when prodded by Joanne Galloway, the lone female member of his legal team, he uncovers a high-level conspiracy and begins to question the term “defense”, both from a legal and military standpoint. The story examines what it means to have honor, dignity and humanity in an increasingly complex world.
Playwright Sorkin graduated from Syracuse University with a degree in Musical Theatre in 1983. After moving to New York City, he struggled as an actor, mostly working in odd jobs ranging from delivering singing telegrams to handing out street fliers. He found his passion in writing plays while killing time bartending at Broadway theatres, and quickly and rather unexpectedly established himself as a young promising playwright. His first play, Removing All Doubt, was sent to his old theatre teacher, Arthur Storch, who staged the play with SU drama students in 1984. Next, Sorkin wrote Hidden in this Picture which debuted off-off-Broadway in 1988. These two productions gained him a reputation as a talented playwright who was quickly gaining stature in the New York theatre scene.
The inspiration for A Few Good Men came from a phone conversation Sorkin had with his sister who had graduated from Boston University Law School and signed up for a 3-year stint with the Navy Judge Advocate General's Corps. She went to Guantanamo Bay to defend a group of marines who came close to killing a fellow marine in a hazing ordered by a superior officer. Sorkin took that information and wrote much of his story on cocktail napkins while bartending. In 1989 A Few Good Men debuted on Broadway starring Tom Hulce. After the movie version also became a success, Sorkin wrote the screenplays for Malice and The American President and served as a script doctor for Schindler's List and Bulworth. In 1998 his television career began when he created the ABC comedy series Sports Night, which overlapped a season with the debut of his very successful NBC series, The West Wing. His most recent movie screenplay was Charlie Wilson's War starring Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts. After more than a decade away from Broadway, Sorkin returned in December of 2007 with his stage adaptation of his screenplay The Farnsworth Invention.
The cast of Cortland Repertory Theatre’s production is largely comprised of new actors to CRT though the lone woman in the cast, Victoria Haynes who plays Lt. Cmdr. Joanne Galloway, will be remembered from the CRT productions of Ten Little Indians and Murder on the Nile. The upstart lawyer Daniel Kaffee is played by Jonathan Self, with Kevin Sebastian as his friend and fellow attorney Sam Weinberg. Lt. Col. Nathan Jessep, who is brought begrudgingly to the stand, is played by Kyle Kennedy, with Brent Bradley as his right hand man, Lt. Jonathan Kendrick. Michael Kreutz portrays the guilt ridden Capt. Matthew Markinson, and CNY actor Rob Lescarbeau plays two roles, Capt. Isaac Whitaker and Cmdr. Walter Stone. Prosecuting attorney Jack Ross is played by Aaron Seeburger while the two marines on trial are played by Jesse Gabbard (as Cpl. Harold Dawson) and CRT performing intern Parker Pogue (as Pfc. Louden Downey). Former U.S. Marshall-turned-actor Michael Hayes controls the courtroom as Judge Julius Randolph. Two more CRT interns play crucial roles to the story: Michael Morlani as the ill-fated Pfc. William Santiago and Mark Reeve as Cpl. Jeffrey Howard. The cast is completed with Dryden High School student Tim Fuchs joining the remaining CRT interns Kyle Hines, Jefferson McDonald and Myles McHale in multiple roles of lawyers, marines and sailors.
On the design team, Jo Winiarski, who has previously worked on many CRT shows including The Great American Trailer Park Musical, How the Other Half Loves, and 5 Guys Named Moe handles the scenic design elements. Costumes are coordinated by Jennifer Parr, who also took on The Mousetrap and Best Little Whorehouse… earlier this summer. New to CRT is Lighting Designer Shawn Boyle, who joins season designers Rob Peck (props) and Andrew Modansky (sound) to round out the design staff. Stage Manager is Jessica Mykins who is on her third CRT show this summer, with Alaina Parness as her assistant.
A Few Good Men will be presented at the Edward Jones Playhouse, CRT’s home in Dwyer Memorial Park from August 6th - 16th. Season Benefactor McNeil and Company is joined for this production by show sponsor Michael May Construction, show partner M & T Bank and show friend The Cortland Line Company Factory Store. Parking is free, and the theatre is handicapped accessible and air conditioned. Tickets may be purchased at the CRT Box Office at 37 Franklin Street in Cortland, by calling 800-427-6160 or online at www.cortlandrep.org. For more information about any of CRT’s shows or programming, please visit www.cortlandrep.org.
