Review: A FEW GOOD MEN at Central Florida Community Arts

In six short years, Central Florida Community Arts, has grown from a small community choir to a much larger arts organization with a school of performing arts, multiple choirs, orchestras, and a theatre season. For their second season, they have taken on A Few Good Men, written by Aaron Sorkin and directed by Donald Rupe, it has a few good moments.

The ensemble is filled with differing levels of acting experience, and this can be seen throughout the performance. Colonel Nathan Jessup, the villain of the play, is portrayed by David Lowe and it becomes clear that he is most veteran actor on the stage. In his first scene, he was so commanding that it felt like a caricature, but then in his scene he felt the most authentic to being a man of the military. One of the breakout stars of the show was Frank Casado, who portrayed Lance Corporeal Harold Dawson. Casado has multiple stoic monologues that felt very realistic and like he was describing todays political atmosphere.

One of the misses of the show was the casting of the two leads Lieutenant J.G. Daniel Kaffee and Lieutenant Commander Joanne Galloway, portrayed by BRandon Lopez and Jenny Arzt. The two had little chemistry which caused complications in what should have been a touching moment in the second act. Arzt was trying to create a character that was strong enough to live in a man's controlled world, but most of the performance came off as cold rather than controlling. Lopez did show good character development, except this wasn't seen until the end of the second act.

The source material that all the actors were working with was very heavy, and they did a good job of showing how relevant it still is today. There were times though where it felt like the entire cast was just going through the motions of the play, rather than digging in their heels and making the play come to life.

A Few Good Men is playing at Central Florida Community Arts March 2-5. Tickets can be purchased at www.cfcarts.com.

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