Aaron Sorkin isn’t known for his Dickensian charactonyms, but in the exceptional revival of “A Few Good Men” at Lincoln Center’s Vivian Beaumont Theater, the name Joanne Galloway stands out. Although the character often goes by the gender-neutral nickname Jo, she is still a gal fighting for respect in a man’s world.
From the beginning, the production positions Jo as an outsider. In an early scene, she stands to the side while her male colleagues slouch over a table. Her costuming also signifies division: She’s dressed in white while Kaffee and his associate Sam Weinberg (Nick Blaemire) wear khaki. Later, the sides swap colors. They only begin matching after they commit to working together as a team.
Arden elegantly conveys the Marines’ uniformity and anonymity in a simple blocking technique: He frequently positions them with their backs to the audience. During an early, crucial exchange between Kaffee and his defendants, the Marines turn downstage only when provoked into speaking candidly. Later, in a flashback sequence that shows the Marines taking orders from their platoon commander, Lt. Kendrick (John Zdrojeski), the enlisted men remain turned away, a faceless phalanx marching and barking in unison.
There’s something intrinsically theatrical about such military drills, with their regimented choreography and prescribed costumes, a quality that Arden exploits to the fullest dramatic effect. Ambling among these disciplined figures, Kaffee appears small and bewildered by comparison, a young shirker who must learn from Dawson the courage to stand by his own moral code.
The tremendous Blyth, known for “The Hunger Games” franchise, plays Kaffee like the second coming of Cruise. When Kaffee sarcastically exclaims “zip-a-dee-doo-dah,” I could have sworn it was Cruise’s younger voice emanating from Blyth’s body. He’s a confident, naturalistic actor, attuned to the small habits that bring a character to life, like rocking back on the rear legs of his chair. Rodriguez plays Jo as more tightly wound, giving her an erect posture that’s intended as an assertion of authority.
