ST. JACOBS – Can audiences “handle the truth?”
That is the pivotal question at the centre of the famed legal drama A Few Good Men, which opens the highly-anticipated 2020 Season at the St. Jacobs Country Playhouse.
The hit play about military corruption and the quest for justice will be on stage for three weeks only from March 4 to 22.
Before it became the Academy Award-nominated movie, A Few Good Men was the ground-breaking first play by then-unknown author Aaron Sorkin.
Sorkin would go on to pen mega TV hits like The West Wing and The Newsroom, and celebrated movies like The Social Network, Steve Jobs, Charlie Wilson’s War, Moneyball, and many others.
Sorkin’s riveting courtroom saga tells the story of two marines accused of killing one of their own at the U.S. Naval Base in Guantanamo Bay.
Hotshot young lawyer Daniel Kaffee, with a penchant for plea bargains, is tasked with their defense – even though he’s never argued a case in court.
“In a world where corruption and the search for truth are at the forefront in the media, stories like A Few Good Men are more powerful and relevant than ever,” said Alex Mustakas, Artistic Director of Drayton Entertainment.
“The cast is packed with Canada’s top talent lead by an exceptional creative team. It’s going to be a highlight of the season,” Mustakas stated.
The production will be helmed by veteran director Marti Maraden, who’s career includes 18 seasons at the Stratford Festival, eight years as the artistic director of English Theatre for the National Arts Centre, and numerous Drayton Entertainment productions, including last season’s critically acclaimed dramas Twelve Angry Men and The Miracle Worker.
She also directed the hit production of Death of a Salesman starring George Wendt in 2017.
Maraden is joined by set designer Sean Mulcahy, costume designer Jennifer Wonnacott, lighting designer Kevin Fraser, stage manager Paul Pembleton and assistant stage manager Sadie Wannamaker.
A cast of seasoned actors has been assembled for this production – many of whom will make their Drayton Entertainment debuts.
Tyrone Savage will star as Daniel Kaffee, a brash, young lawyer whose record for plea-bargaining may or may not be the reason he was assigned to this high-profile case.
Savage has appeared in many productions across the country including Sleuth at the Mayfield, Stag and Doe at Neptune, and five seasons at the Stratford Festival, as well as in several prominent television series including Stoked, Wind at My Back, and Total Drama, among others.
Fresh from his notable role as Juror #3 in last season’s hit production of Twelve Angry Men, Benedict Campbell takes on the role of Lieutenant Colonel Nathan Jessep, the gruff commander of Guantanamo Bay Naval Base, who is frustrated that his honour and code are being put on trial.
Inspired by true events, Sorkin got the idea for A Few Good Men from a story told to him by his sister, a lawyer in the U.S. Navy who went to Guantanamo Bay Naval Base to defend a group of marines accused of hazing a fellow officer.
Sorkin’s play immediately caught the attention of Hollywood producers who wanted to turn it into a movie. Sorkin insisted the script be produced on stage prior to being made into a film. A Few Good Men opened on Broadway at the Music Box Theatre in 1989, and ran for nearly 500 performances.
Rob Reiner directed the 1992 movie adaptation featuring Tom Cruise as Kaffee, Jack Nicholson as Jessep, Demi Moore as Galloway, Kiefer Sutherland as Kendrick, Kevin Bacon as Ross, Cuba Gooding Jr. as Hammock, Kevin Pollack as Sam, and many other prominent actors. The film was nominated for four Academy Awards and five Golden Globe Awards.
A Few Good Men is on stage from March 4 to 22 at the St. Jacobs Country Playhouse. Regular performance tickets are $49.50 for adults, $29 for youth under 20 years of age, and $40 for groups of 20 or more and select discount dates.
HST is applicable to all ticket prices.
Tickets may be purchased in person at any Drayton Entertainment Box Office, by calling the box office at 519-747-7788 or toll free at 1-855-drayton (372-9866), or online at www.draytonentertainment.com.
