From Ranks to Roles - A Few Good Men

For the average civilian, looking at the cast list for A Few Good Men might as well be a word jumble. A mix of titles, abbreviations, and names, and who knows what it all means. We’re here to offer a little insight into these titles, the men who have them, how the characters relate to one another, and a behind-the-scenes look at the actors portraying some of these roles.

No spoilers: the play opens with two soldiers stating that they have been informed they are suspects in the murder of one William T. Santiago. The men making this statement are Lance Corporal (LCpl) Howard W. Dawson (played by Nathan Kreutzer) and Private First Class (PFC) Louden Downey (played by Colton Knott). To start with some context, someone newly enlisted in the Marines is a Private (Pvt). After about six months and satisfactory performance, they are promoted to PFC. The next step after that is LCpl, followed later by Corporal (Cpl.) All that is to say, these two men here would be in the same unit and, in this case, platoon.

The man they are suspected of killing is PFC William T. Santiago, who is played in our production by Amaury A. Colvarro. Amaury had a brother who was a member of the military. “This is my first show in 17 years,” Amaury says, “and it was really daunting for me. A lot of things needed to be in place for me to try the stage once more. It’s one thing that we get to do this, but it’s another that we get to do this together and do it well. I hope I do it justice.” Amaury hopes the audience will get to see in this production why some people shouldn’t have too much power - it can lead to tragic events.

Representing Downey and Dawson in their trial is Lieutenant Junior Grade (Lt J.G.) Daniel A. Kaffee (in our production, played by Wade Mumford, and in the motion picture, played by Tom Cruise). He is assisted by Lt. J.G. Sam Weinberg (played by Calvin Schlautman in our show, and by Kevin Pollak in the film). Kaffee and Weinberg are from the Navy, and, for those who may be unaware, the Marine Corps is a part of the Department of the Navy. So they are Navy Lt. J.G.s and also Judge Advocate Generals (or JAGs), a separate branch of the armed forces that serves as military lawyers. Kaffee was assigned this case based on his reputation, but Lieutenant Commander (Lt. Cmdr.) Joanne Galloway sees things differently and outranks Kaffee. (In our production, she is played by Amanda Charles; in the film, she was Demi Moore.) This group makes up the defense team.

On the other side of the courtroom sits the prosecution, which is represented by Lt. Jack Ross, who, in our production, is played by Born-in-a-Barn player Nick Herink, and, in the film version, was played by Kevin Bacon. Nick’s grandfather was a Lieutenant Colonel in the Air Force. “In fact, Offutt Air Force Base was what brought my family to Nebraska!” Nick says. “My grandfather was always so proud of his service, and his love for flying continued throughout his life. And, even though he shared stories, I don’t think I ever fully grasped the complexity of military service: the jargon, the rigid hierarchies, the rituals and formalities. Working on this show has forced me to recognize that, largely beyond public view, an enormous apparatus is operating on our behalf. Most of us will never understand how it works. We simply live beneath its protection - and in the shadow of everything it is capable of doing.”

Overseeing the proceedings is Colonel (Col.) Julius Alexander Randolph, the Judge in the trial. J.A. Preston played the judge in the film, and on our stage Stanley Tracey fills the role. Stan’s father served in the Army at the end of World War II, in Guam. His son, Tim, graduated from the United States Naval Academy (USNA) and is serving as a Judge Advocate General (JAG) in the Marines. Tim’s wife, Zoe, also graduated from the USNA and is a Navy pilot. Stan himself served as a civilian lawyer in the Army for about 37 years. “It’s an honor to be portraying a member of the United States military in this play,” Stan says. “I hope that I, and the entire cast, give a fair and accurate portrayal.”

As you might expect, several people are interviewed, questioned, and brought to the stand surrounding the incident. This includes Lieutenant (Lt.) Jonathan Kendrick. Kendrick served as Santiago’s platoon commander. As a platoon commander, Kendrick would be in charge of a group of Marines (called a platoon), directing them during operations or training, ensuring everyone in their platoon is properly trained and cared for, and also taking accountability for anything that is or isn’t done within their platoon. In the film, Kiefer Sutherland played Kendrick, and in our production, Christopher Becker, a newcomer to the Lofte stage, plays him. Christopher’s family has a military background - one grandfather, Brigadier General Glover, served in Korea and Vietnam in the Air Force. His other grandfather, Corporal Becker Jr., served in the Army in World War II. Christopher is putting his family history to good use here!

Kendrik’s commander, and the commanding officer of the entire Guantanamo base, where these Marines are stationed, is Lieutenant Colonel (Lt. Col.) Nathan Jessep (in the film, this role was played by Jack Nicholson, and in our production it’s played by Jim Knierim). Jessep has very strong beliefs about what he thinks a Marine should be, and Kendrick agrees.

Another person who is called to the stand is Corporal (Cpl.) Hammaker. A Corporal is the lowest tier of a Non-commisioned Officer, so they can give orders and lead junior troops; they are often mentors and leaders of their squads and on the front lines. In the film, Cuba Gooding Jr. played this role, and in our production, Jacob Westby plays it. Jacob’s uncle is an Army veteran. He is incredibly honored to play a member of the US armed forces. “It gave me a new perspective of the military, specifically of the Navy.”

Cpl. Dunn is also a peer of Hammaker, Downey, Dawson, and Santiago, serving in the same platoon. Cpl. Dunn is played by Josh Zeplin in our production. Josh’s great-grandfather served in World War II, and his grandfather served in Vietnam - both received Purple Hearts. “I feel honored and grateful to play a member of the armed forces,” Josh says. “It’s been fun to learn how the military operates from actual service members in our cast as well. The cast is incredible.”

No military courtroom would be complete without M.P.s. M.P. stands for Military Police. Their job includes enforcing military law, maintaining order, guarding facilities and prisoners, and managing security. One of our M.P.s is Kevin Baxter. All three of his sons are in the service one way or another: one in the Air Force, one in the Air National Guard, and one in the Army National Guard. Kevin is enjoying his insight into the military world.

Rather than a bailiff, the military has a Sergeant-at-Arms. It’s their job to maintain order and security in a military courtroom. Robert Wagner plays our Sergeant-at-Arms, and he comes from a family with strong military connections. His father, sister, brother-in-law, and one brother all served in the Air Force (and have retired). A second brother served in the Army, as did he. “I served 3 years as an Armored Cavalry Scout in the US Army,” Robert says. “During my service, I was fortunate enough to have seen the end of the Cold War, and the fall of the Berlin Wall. Since then, I’ve been unfortunate enough to see the start of several wars all around the world, and see it change in ways that no one could have predicted. There are good and bad people in all walks of life, and the military is no different. What matters most is how we respond to, or act on, the immoral, illegal, or unethical actions of others. It’s been said that the one person in the world who prays for peace is the soldier. Despite the political and economic machinations of corporations and billionaires, I still pray for a day that this world will know peace.”

We hope that this helps you understand the story of A Few Good Men a bit better. We look forward to seeing everyone in the theatre for this tragic and moving production. It certainly will be a fantastic production - you won’t want to miss it. Get tickets at lofte.org/tickets or call 402-234-2553. Performances are September 4, 5, 6, 10, 11, 12, & 13. Shows start at 7:00 on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, and at 2:00 on Sundays. The concession stand will open 1 hour before the show starts, and the house will be open for seating at this time as well.