It’s a rare occurrence to see the perfect cast, perfect direction and perfect play rolled into one production.
It’s even more rare when the stars align and the production comes via community theater.
Such is the case with the Creative License Theater Collective’s production of Aaron Sorkin’s “A Few Good Men” at Cohoes Music Hall.
Director and company co-founder Aaron Holbritter has assembled a cast of some of the best in the Capital Region, with each player delivering an outstanding performance.
The play, which became a 1992 movie classic starring Jack Nicholson, Tom Cruise and Demi Moore, focuses on the court martial of two enlisted men at Guantanamo Bay who were involved in the killing of a member of their squad. They claim they were ordered to execute a “code red” — an illegal order issued by a superior officer as punishment to an enlisted man. The officers deny such illegal actions exist.
Chad Reid and Marquis Heath set the tone as the two accused Marines. They are defended at their court martial by Lt. Kaffee — a flippant, immature attorney we watch mature before our eyes — stunningly portrayed by Tom Templeton.
Templeton brings humor, a certain glibness and boyish good looks to the role portrayed by Cruise in the movie version. He is joined at the defense table by Meaghan Rogers as Lt. Commander Joanne Galloway, who believes there is more to this case then meets the eye. Chris Urig, as attorney Sam Weinberg, rounds out the defense team.
Rogers and Urig bolster Templeton’s performance, and the three create a triumvirate that is compelling and compassionate.
“A Few Good Men” is at Cohoes Music Hall through Sunday.
Bill Kellert
But it’s Shawn Morgan’s looming presence as Nathan Jessup, the commanding officer at Gitmo, that sets the tone of the production. Morgan — from a physicality that overpowers others on the stage, to his booming voice — is the show’s antagonist.
Jessup is backed by Jonathan Kendrick, platoon commander of the murdered Marine.
Ian LaChance joins this pantheon of area pros as Kendrick, the God-fearing — and Jessup-fearing — officer.
Each actor has been placed in exactly the correct role, from lead to supporting performers, including J. Hunter as the judge and Gary Hoffman as the medical expert. Hollbritter has dropped these actors into roles for which they seem destined.
What is amazing is the tempo Holbritter has his entire cast move at throughout the show. It left the audience breathless and the cast never missed a beat.
The show has a strong mix of humor and drama that allows the characters to play off of one another in the incredibly well-written book by Sorkin, also known for his work on TV’s “The West Wing,” “Sports Night” and the Broadway revivals of “To Kill A Mockingbird” and “Camelot.” The pace of the show flies from curtain to curtain. The story, based on a real-life incident, is compelling. Much like witnessing a car accident, you want to turn away but are unable to alter your gaze.
“A Few Good Men” is one of the most perfect productions to hit the boards of Capital Region theater in a long while.
Creative License Theater Collective presents “A Few Good Men” at Cohoes Music Hall, 58 Remsen St., through Sunday. For information, visit creativelicenseonline.com or call the box office at 518-434-0776.
