Casting Announced For Famous Courtroom Drama A FEW GOOD MEN In 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 March 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, who famously wrote the script on napkins while working as a bartender at the Palace Theatre on Broadway. Sorkin would go on to become one of the greatest screenwriters of the 21st century penning mega TV hits like The West Wing and The Newsroom, and celebrated movies like the Oscar-winning film 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. It looks like a simple case of soldiers behaving badly until evidence suggests that high-ranking officials may have ordered an illicit disciplinary measure known only as a "Code Red." When fellow lawyer and naval investigator Lieutenant Commander Joanne Galloway suspects a cover up, the legal team must face the highest authorities, and put the entire marine code of honour on trial in order to solve the case.

The production will be helmed by veteran director Marti Maraden. Maraden's illustrious 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 remarkable 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. A distinguished actor, Campbell has performed for over 40 years with a variety of companies in Canada playing noteworthy roles at the National Arts Centre, Stratford Festival, and Shaw Festival, among others.

Shannon Currie will play Lieutenant Commander Joanne Galloway, a brilliant Internal Affairs lawyer with a passion for justice, who joins Kaffee's legal team. A graduate of the esteemed National Theatre School, Currie has appeared on stages across Canada, and won praise for her portrayal of teacher Annie Sullivan in Drayton Entertainment's production of The Miracle Worker last season.

Jim Mezon will take on the role of Captain Matthew A. Markinson, the second in command at Guantanamo Bay Naval Base, who is torn between his conscience and his career. Mezon has played a variety of roles with Shaw Festival, Stratford Festival, Theatre Calgary, and the Vancouver Playhouse, among other major theatre companies across Canada.

Randy Hughson will play Captain Julius Alexander Randolph, the stalwart judge presiding over the complicated murder case. A veteran actor with Stratford Festival, Hughson has performed in over 25 productions with the company, including roles in Julius Caesar, To Kill a Mockingbird, Antony and Cleopatra, and Wanderlust, among other productions.

Daniel Greenberg will play Lieutenant Sam Weinberg, Kaffee's friend, confidant, and supporting council, who works with him to build the defense case. Greenberg appeared as Davey in last season's popular production of Disney's Newsies. In addition to his stage work, he has also appeared in a number of TV shows including Reign, Hardcore Heroes, and Baxter.

Amos Crawley is Lieutenant Jack Ross, the lawyer assigned to prosecute the accused marines Dawson and Downey. An active television actor, Crawley has had roles in the hit series Anne with an E, Frankie Drake Mysteries, Covert Affairs, and many other shows. On stage, he has appeared in Steel City Gangsters for Theatre Aquarius, as well as in various productions with Shakespeare by the Sea.

Venerated actor Tim Campbell will play Commander Walter Stone, one of Jessep's cohorts involved in the proceedings. In addition to his vast resume of stage work, Campbell has appeared in innumerable television series including Republic of Doyle, Warehouse 13, Nikita, The LA Complex, Saving Hope, The Firm, Deadly Hope, Lost Girl, Flashpoint, and Murdoch Mysteries.

Alex Furber will play Lieutenant Jonathan James Kendrick, Jessep's subordinate at the Guantanamo Bay Naval Base, who swears by the Marine code. Furber gained notoriety as Albert in the Toronto production of War Horse, and previously appeared in Drayton Entertainment's productions of You'll Get Used To It! ... The War Show and Brighton Beach Memoirs, among others.

Thomas Duplessie and Nathanael Judah will portray accused marines Private First Class Louden Downey and Lance Corporal Harold W. Dawson, respectively. Duplessie previously appeared in the Drayton Entertainment productions of Twelve Angry Men, The Birds & The Bees, Death of a Salesman, and Brighton Beach Memoirs. Judah is a recent graduate of the St. Clair College Theatre Performance Program, and will make his Drayton Entertainment debut in this production.

Peter Bailey is Captain Isaac Whitaker, the supervising Judge Advocate General Attorney in Washington, and Kaffee's commanding officer. Bailey has appeared on stage with the Stratford Festival, Blyth Festival, The Grand Theatre, and other theatre companies across Canada.

Oscar Moreno is Private First Class William Santiago, a marine stationed at the Guantanamo Bay base who doesn't quite fit in with his fellow officers. Moreno previously appeared as Pablo in Drayton Entertainment's production of Sister Act. He also played Ritchie Valens in Buddy - The Buddy Holly Story at Theatre Northwest.

JJ Gerber and Timothy Gledhill will play marines Corporal Dunn and Corporal Jeffrey Owen Howard respectively. Gerber previously appeared in Priscilla, Queen of the Desert and Anne of Green Gables, while Gledhill previously appeared in You'll Get Used To It! ... The War Show and Singin' in the Rain, all for Drayton Entertainment.

George Alevizos plays a lawyer and the Court Reporter. A recent graduate of the joint acting program at U of T Mississauga and Sheridan College, he is the first alumnus of a professional theatre training program in Canada who uses a wheelchair. Alevizos has appeared on screen in Hudson & Rex and Star Trek: Discovery, and will make his professional stage debut in A Few Good Men.

Omar Forrest will play Corporal Hammaker. In addition to his role in last season's production of Twelve Angry Men, Forrest previously appeared in The Lion King and The Lord of the Rings in Toronto, among other stage and screen credits.

Inspired by true events, Aaron 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 that 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 star-studded 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 March 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 instantly at www.draytonentertainment.com.

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