Friday, August 6, 2010

good men, a few

A FEW GOOD MEN
THEATER 37
-summer 1993
I went to visit my grandmother in Florida. I had taken a theater hiatus, because after thirty shows in seven years i was curious to know what kind of person i was when i wasn't acting. My grandfather had died the previous year, and it would be the first time i ever spent with just her. I stayed six months, discovering this wonderful person with so many memories, and an adult sense of humor. Checking out audition notices, I saw A FEW GOOD MEN, which was strange, because the hit movie was still playing. I went, a day late. There must have been a planetary alignment, because i was offered the lead on the spot. The director said that he'd had great auditions, and every role except mine had been filled. He was professional and enthusiastic, and told of how aggressively he had gone after the rights, and that ours would be the first Florida production of the play. Rehearsals began, and it was fantastic. We were to perform at the Kiwanis Hall in downtown Fort Myers. The Aaron Sorkin script was amazing. My lawyer buddy was played by Paul Conrad, a disc jockey by day. Our chemistry was beautiful. The same with our female lawyer, played by Stephanie Davis. She and i spent a lot of time working outside of rehearsal. Steven Hooper played the crazy colonel. A stroke had left Steve blind in one eye and without hand-eye coordination, but he worked so hard that the audience didn't know, and his performance was perfect. A lawyer named Greg played Lt. Kendrick, and his brutality was so right. Cpl. Dawson was played by a model named Tommy. Greg, Paul, Tommy, and i had a weekly beach volleyball game. The rest of the cast were spot-on too. A great set was built. Everything fell together, and it became another show that was so much better than it had any right to be. My favorite moment was when Paul and i were arguing, and i put my hand to his face in a "jibber-jabber" motion. The first time i did it, during a performance, his anger as he batted away my hand was entirely genuine. We found many moments like that. Paul and Steph sat through long court scenes, passing each other notes on their legal pads to amuse themselves. Stephanie was facing the audience in her marine skirt, and threatened to do a Sharon Stone leg-cross, just to alleviate her boredom. It was in this show that i was a disobedient actor for the first time. The director told me to deliver the last line of the play briskly. I felt it was too military. He gave me the same note again. I changed a bit, but not as much as he wanted, and that's how it stayed. One bit of ugliness came when Stephanie told Greg and i that the director had propositioned her, been rejected, then laid his hand on her breast. We debated confronting him, but didn't. There had been an attraction between Stephanie and i early on, but i didn't act on it, not wanting to risk cast drama. She then had an affair with Greg, and i second-guessed my decision a bit. Greg and i had a good relationship, but he was very alpha, so there was a muted head-butting between us. After they'd gotten together, Stephanie told me that Greg had nightmares about me being with her. The newspaper review was one of the best i'd ever read, saying how Nicholson and Cruise were forgotten. The responses from the audience were profound. To be a part of such a show is exhilarating and humbling. To be the last person onstage in the final moment…

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