‘A Few Good Men’ coming to the Milford Theater

The weekend of November 8, 9, and 10 will be a dramatic first for the Milford Theater as they present their own production of “A Few Good Men.” There have been other production companies that the theater has worked with in the past (Side of the Road Theater Company, and Artic Entertainment, which produced “Company” and “Guys and Dolls”), but this represents a new direction for the theater as they now present their own production company. It is interesting and exciting that the first play they chose was “A Few Good Men,” Aaron Sorkin’s gripping Broadway hit (1989), which he then turned into an equally dramatic movie (1992).

This compelling courtroom drama explores complicated ideas of honor, duty, and truth in a case about a U.S. Marine Corps hazing incident that went horribly wrong — and who should pay the price. It’s as relevant today as it was then and provides enormous opportunity for the artists to sink their artistic teeth into. The story, which sizzles on stage, focuses on the trial of two marines for complicity in the death of a fellow marine at Guantanamo Bay. The navy lawyer, a callow young man more interested in softball games than in the case, expects a plea deal and a cover-up of what really happened. Prodded by a female member of his defense team, he makes a valiant effort to defend his clients, and in doing so, puts the military mentality and the marine code of honor on trial. Many people may remember the electrifying scenes in the film where Jack Nicholson, who plays the role of Col. Nathan Jessep, gets in the face of LT. J.G. Daniel Kaffee (played by Tom Cruise) and with gritted teeth screams, “You can’t handle the truth.” Equally gripping and memorable is the scene where Kaffee gets Jessup to admit that he ordered the code red (for illegal hazing).

Beth O’Neil, artistic director of the theater said, “I am extremely proud to bring Aaron Sorkin’s beautiful play about truth and justice to the Milford Theater stage. We have an incredibly talented team working on the show, led by our brilliant Director Joseph Fuqua. Once he said ‘yes’ to directing the show, I knew we would have something special. He has directed brilliant shows around the country, and we are lucky he is at the helm. Every single member of the cast is terrific, and I brought back our stellar production team as well. We have also partnered with VetStock in honor of Veteran’s Day weekend and a portion of ticket sales will go to benefit our veterans.”

The cast is stellar and many of them have appeared in past productions to critical acclaim. Darren Fouse and Taylor James are first rate and are very familiar to Milford audiences. Annalee Paige appears as Lt. Cdr. Joanne Galloway (Demi Moore in the movie), another great talent who previously appeared in “Company” and “Guys and Dolls.”

In addition to these actors, Fuqua approached DV acting students and held auditions there. He found Logan Woodward, a tenth grader who’s been acting since he’s been in the fourth grade, and has a real passion for acting. He’s also so happy to be among fellow actors.

Fuqua demonstrated what a pro he is when he was directing one of the rehearsals. He leaned in to both the seasoned actors and others and was able to pinpoint various areas of their performances, which with just a tiny adjustment could make a world of difference. His laser-like focus and direction, whether it was to a spoken phrase, a turn of a shoulder or a facial expression, will elevate this production to a first-rate performance.

For tickets and more upcoming shows, visit themilfordtheater.com.