Lincoln Center Revives 'A Few Good Men' With Bradley Whitford in Lead Role
The production runs through January 10, featuring a large cast and a complex industrial set.
By Elena Perry ·
Audiences attending the Lincoln Center Theater revival of Aaron Sorkin’s “A Few Good Men” face a production that prioritizes scale over suspense. The show, directed by Michael Arden, opens with a large ensemble and an imposing stage design, yet it fails to match the intensity of the famous 1992 film adaptation. The performance relies on a massive cast led by Bradley Whitford, but the courtroom drama never reaches the height of the source material’s climax.
The play, originally written in 1989, centers on two Marines, Harold Dawson and Louden Downey, who are charged with killing a fellow service member at Guantanamo Bay. In the film version, Tom Cruise and Demi Moore played the lawyers defending the accused, while Jack Nicholson portrayed the commanding officer. This stage production shifts those roles, with Krysta Rodriguez taking the part of JoAnne Galloway. The narrative explores the tension between military obedience and personal responsibility, asking who is accountable when uniformed personnel follow an unlawful order.
The physical staging presents distinct challenges for the storytelling. Dane Laffrey’s set utilizes scaffolded platforms, a high observation tower, and oversized flags to create an industrial atmosphere. These elements allow the space to shift between barracks, offices, and the courtroom. However, the frequent location changes, including flashbacks layered into the trial, make the action feel episodic. The production moves through Washington offices and Guantanamo Bay, but these jumps pull attention away from the central courtroom suspense that drives the plot.
The cast delivers mixed results in bringing the characters to life. Blyth portrays Daniel Kaffee, showing a clear shift from a careerist to a committed defense lawyer, though his jokes become repetitive. Rodriguez brings energy to Galloway, a capable attorney who must push to be taken seriously. Blaemire offers humor as Weinberg, but his most compelling moments occur when he challenges the defense by invoking the Nuremberg trials. Whitford, who understudied Kaffee in the original Broadway run, now plays Colonel Nathan R. Jessup. He is convincing as a rigid Marine commander, but he lacks the cutting edge of his film counterpart.
Sorkin’s early work predates the sharper dialogue found in later projects like “The West Wing.” The setup feels stodgy, and the characters are drawn in broad strokes. The themes of military discipline and accountability remain timely, but the writing leaves the plot predictable. The cavernous set and frequent scene changes drain tension from the final confrontation. The revival struggles to make the climactic argument feel fresh, leaving the production hard to justify for those familiar with the film.
“A Few Good Men” runs at the Vivian Beaumont Theater at Lincoln Center through January 10. Tickets are available at lct.org.
