THE BASICS: An emotional political drama by Beau Willimon, FARRAGUT NORTH (named after a metro stop in Washington D.C.) directed by RLT’s Scott Behrend starring Peter Johnson, Richard Satterwhite, Victoria Perez, David Hayes, Steve Brachmann, Danica Riddick with Xavier Harris runs through May 22, Thursdays through Saturdays at 7:30, Sundays at 2 at Road Less Traveled Theater, 500 Pearl Street (629-3069). Run time two hours with one intermission. Beer, wine, soda pop available.
THUMBNAIL SKETCH: It is January, 2008, a week before the Iowa Caucus and Stephen Bellamy, the campaign press manager is having drinks with his boss, Paul Zara, along with N.Y. Times reporter Ida Horwicz and Ben, the up and coming intern. In this world of egos and hubris and power, Stephen will go astray over the next 24 hours, and will pay a price. Will he be able to remain as a player? Or will he wash up as a consultant in Washington, D.C., commuting to his job on the Metro, getting off at the Farragut North stop?
THE PLAYERS, THE PLAY, AND THE PRODUCTION: Beau Willimon is both a playwright and screenwriter, best known as the creator of the Netflix original series HOUSE OF CARDS (starring Kevin Spacey). He worked on Hillary Clinton’s 2000 Senate campaign, Bill Bradley’s 2000 presidential campaign, and Howard Dean’s 2004 presidential campaign. Farragut North, written in 2008, is loosely based on former Governor Howard Dean’s 2004 Democratic primary election campaign for U.S. President. By the way, Howard Dean is credited as being the first to use what we now call “crowd-sourcing,” or internet fund-raising, that was so effective for Barack Obama in 2008 and now for Bernie Sanders in 2016.
The play has been turned into a film, THE IDES OF MARCH, directed by George Clooney, and was released by Sony Pictures in October 2011. The timing of RLT’s WNY premiere, in the middle of one of the most attention gathering primary seasons in American history, is much better.
The stage is sparse, but uses the space effectively. Dyan Burlingame has placed, on the back wall, a huge American flag. That flag is almost a character on the stage, passing judgement on all the machinations happening below. Upstage right is a restaurant table and chairs. This is where the “upstanding” conversations take place. Downstage right is the table for two, in shadows, where the “down-low” conversations will take place. And downstage left is a hotel room door and hotel bed, symbolic of a lonely life on the road.
Compared to his boss, Paul Zara (played by Richard Satterwhite), Peter Johnson, as Stephen Bellamy, is smaller and more compact, more like a fighter in his moves. He’s a fast talker, and, as you would expect from a press manager, always trying to “spin” things his way. He suffers from hubris, the sin of pride and arrogance, which blinds him to reality. And, it also prevents him from treating the interns (both Ben and Molly) properly, which only compounds his problems. Johnson is fascinating to watch, since he’s always in motion, even when he’s sitting down.
Paul, is taller, older, calmer as you might expect from the boss, the campaign manager. He carries in equal measure the weight of a life spent on the road campaigning along with the optimism that a political campaign brings. Richard Satterwhite brings the right combination of enthusiasm and gravitas.
Victoria Perez plays Ida Horowitz, the N.Y. Times reporter always looking for an exclusive story and willing to play hardball to get it.
Steve Brachman plays Ben, the intern with good ideas that Stephen is unable to recognize.
Once you care about the characters, their physical closeness draws you in.
Danica Riddick is effective and believable as the intern Molly, a blend of fresh faced political innocence and personal maturity. She played the role perfectly.
And Dave Hayes, as Tom Duffy, the rival campaign manager, should have dark and evil music playing when he’s on stage. With piercing eyes he plays what we know as the Mephistopheles character in Goethe’s play FAUST (the story of the man who sold his soul to the devil in return for earthly rewards). Dave Hayes can be seriously scary.
And, in the end, this is the Faust legend, set in Iowa, in American, in 2008.
After so much snappy political dialog on television shows (WEST WING, HOUSE OF CARDS, MADAME SECRETARY, THE GOOD WIFE) the opening quartet of the stage show, in comparison, seemed to lack a little something. But, as the story develops, once again, live theater delivers something that television just can’t. Once you care about the characters, their physical closeness draws you in. (Note, we sat in the front row, which is level with the stage, and I highly recommend doing that at RLT.)
*HERD OF BUFFALO (Notes on the Rating System)
ONE BUFFALO: This means trouble. A dreadful play, a highly flawed production, or both. Unless there is some really compelling reason for you to attend (i.e. you are the parent of someone who is in it), give this show a wide berth.
TWO BUFFALOS: Passable, but no great shakes. Either the production is pretty far off base, or the play itself is problematic. Unless you are the sort of person who’s happy just going to the theater, you might look around for something else.
THREE BUFFALOS: I still have my issues, but this is a pretty darn good night at the theater. If you don’t go in with huge expectations, you will probably be pleased.
FOUR BUFFALOS: Both the production and the play are of high caliber. If the genre/content are up your alley, I would make a real effort to attend.
FIVE BUFFALOS: Truly superb–a rare rating. Comedies that leave you weak with laughter, dramas that really touch the heart. Provided that this is the kind of show you like, you’d be a fool to miss it!