Stage Door News
Stage Door News
On March 31, 1960, Gore Vidal’s political drama, The Best Man, premiered on Broadway. Often considered to be the playwright’s most distinguished work for the theatre, the play was set behind the scenes at a national political convention, as one presidential candidate was poised to release potentially harmful information about his opponent’s health. Just a few months later, life imitated art at the Democratic National Convention in Los Angeles, where supporters of Lyndon B. Johnson questioned the health of the leading contender for the Oval Office, a 43-year-old Massachusetts senator named John F. Kennedy. Again, in this year’s presidential campaign, both sides raised the health of the opposing candidate as an issue.
The original production ran 520 performances and received six Tony nominations (Melvyn Douglas won Best Actor). It was filmed in 1964 and has been revived three times in New York, most recently in 2012. William Russell, the former U.S. Secretary of State, is a wit and scholar with high liberal principles, beloved of the eggheads and suspected by practical politicians. Joseph Cantwell is a ruthless and hard driving young man, a dirty fighter who lets no scruples stand in the way of his ambitions, and Arthur Hockstader is an ex-President, who loves politics for their own sake, admires a rough-and-tumble battler more than a chivalrous one, and is determined to have the final say in the selection of his party’s candidate. Cantwell has got hold of papers indicating that his rival once suffered from a mental crackup, which he is all set to use. Then his scrupulous antagonist comes across some incriminating evidence about Cantwell…
One thing’s for sure – American politics have become even dirtier these days than they were when Vidal wrote his play!
The aspect of The Best Man most frequently commented on is the resemblance of the characters to certain real political figures. Russell is most frequently viewed as similar to either the intellectual Adlai Stevenson or the charismatic and promiscuous John F. Kennedy, while Cantwell is said to resemble Richard Nixon, Lyndon B. Johnson, or Joseph McCarthy. Hockstader is arguably modelled on Harry Truman or other old-time Democrats. Vidal himself said that in the screen version, the characters more closely resembled Barry Goldwater and John D. Rockefeller of the 1964 Republican convention than the Democrats that Vidal intended. This guessing game has only increased interest in the play over the years.
This large cast play provides a showcase for the acting company of Stage Centre Productions and will feature some newcomers as well as established favourites.
STAGE CENTRE PRODUCTIONS
present
THE BEST MAN
by Gore Vidal
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"Politics' is made up of two words - 'Poli,' which is Greek for 'many,' and 'tics,' which are bloodsucking insects." ~ Gore Vidal
*
Directed by Scott Griffin
Assistant Director: Hanna Peltoniemi Fam
Stage Manager: Lorraine Kimsa
Set Design: Scott Griffin and Lorraine Kimsa
Lighting by Michael Walsh
*
With
John Amato, Tommy Boston, Holm Bradwell, Joyce Crawford, Stephen Flett, Robert Glen, Janine Greenberg, Scott Griffin, Jen Hashimoto, Harry Hochman, Allyson Landy, Molly Lubell, Rita Lynham, Kalen Malen, James Marshall, Tony Rein, Fabio Saposnik and Lindsay Woodford
November 24 to 26, November 30 to Dec. 3, 2016: 8 pm
November 27 & December 3, 2016: 2 pm Matinee
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Stage Centre Productions' second play of the 40th season at the Fairview Library Theatre, The Best Man, opens on Thursday, November 24, 2016 and runs until Saturday, December 3, 2016. Please call the Box Office at 416-299-5557 to reserve tickets or book on line through http://www.stagecentreproductions.com.
DATES: November 24 to November 27 (Thursday to Sunday) and November 30 to December 3 (Wednesday to Saturday).
TIMES: Performances begin at 8:00 p.m., except the matinees on November 27 and December 3, which begin at 2:00 p.m.
TICKETS: Adults $30 Seniors/Students $25 To order tickets call 416-299-5557 or click http://www.stagecentreproductions.com.
LOCATION: Fairview Public Library Theatre, 35 Fairview Mall Drive, North York, steps away from the Don Mills Subway Station on the Sheppard Line. There is plenty of free parking in the Fairview Mall parking lot. Both wheelchair access and hearing devices are available.
Stage Centre Productions, a full repertory theatre company founded in 1977 and dedicated to presenting a wide cross-section of plays, usually offers five productions each season. We are now celebrating our 40th season with Entertaining Angels (September 29 to October 8, 2016), The Best Man (November 24 to December 3, 2016), Strictly Murder (January 26 to February 4, 2017), Stepping Out (March 16 to 25, 2017) and Anything to Declare? (May 18 to 27, 2017). This season is the sixth under Artistic Director Michael James Burgess, who brings many years of experience to the company.
The company constructs all the sets, costumes, wigs and properties required for each production at its rehearsal workshop in Scarborough.
For more information about Stage Centre Productions check out our website at http://www.stagecentreproductions.com.
For further information please contact 416-299-5557
2016-11-05
Toronto: Stage Centre Productions presents Gore Vidal's "The Best Man" November 24-December 3