Stage Magazine
  • Press Releases
    • Press Releases

      Application Deadline Nov 30th: Female Playwright Residencies –…

      Press Releases

      MCT Presents SHE LOVES ME

      Press Releases

      The Outlet at DCP Theatre: LOVE, LOSS AND…

      Press Releases

      Forge Theatre Presents: THE MAN WHO CAME TO…

      Press Releases

      Stagecrafters’ Courtroom Thriller: WITNESS FOR THE PROSECUTION

  • Callboard
    • Callboard

      Application Deadline Nov 30th: Female Playwright Residencies –…

      Callboard

      CALENDAR GIRLS, FORGE THEATRE, 11/04/2019

      Callboard

      MISS NELSON IS MISSING, DCP Theatre, 11/17/2019

      Callboard

      ANNIE, Neshaminy Valley Music Theatre, 11/19/2019

      Callboard

      BURIED CHILD, OLD ACADEMY PLAYERS, 12/07/2019

  • Marquee
    • All Openings
      Marquee

      THE MAN WHO CAME TO DINNER, Forge Theatre,…

      Marquee

      STONES IN HIS POCKETS, South Camden Theatre Company,…

      Marquee

      ONCE UPON A MATTRESS, Playcrafters Of Skippack, 11/07/2019-11/23/2019

      Marquee

      JOSEPH AND THE TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT, Kelsey Theatre, 11/08/2019-11/17/2019

      Openings

      THE MANOR, Colonial Playhouse at Greystone Hall, 11/14/2019-12/01/2019

      Openings

      KING OF PRUSSIA PLAYERS GALA AND SALUTE TO…

      Openings

      THE NUTCRACKER PRESENTED BY THE PENNSYLVANIA ACADEMY OF…

      Openings

      WITNESS FOR THE PROSECUTION, The Stagecrafters, 11/22/2019-12/08/2019

  • Theatres
    • Theatres – Philadelphia Region
    • Theatres – Florida
    • Theatre Locator Map
    • Reviews
  • Subscribe
    • Donate
    • Advertising Info
  • Contact Us
    • Advertising Info
  • POST YOUR OWN
    • Review
    • Audition Notice
    • Marquee Listing
    • Press Release
    • STAGE$avings Offer
Marquee
THE MAN WHO CAME TO DINNER, Forge Theatre,...
STONES IN HIS POCKETS, South Camden Theatre Company,...
ONCE UPON A MATTRESS, Playcrafters Of Skippack, 11/07/2019-11/23/2019
JOSEPH AND THE TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT, Kelsey Theatre, 11/08/2019-11/17/2019
THE MANOR, Colonial Playhouse at Greystone Hall, 11/14/2019-12/01/2019
PETER PAN PERFORMED BY THEATERWORKS USA, Upper Darby...
KING OF PRUSSIA PLAYERS GALA AND SALUTE TO...
THE NUTCRACKER PRESENTED BY THE PENNSYLVANIA ACADEMY OF...
WITNESS FOR THE PROSECUTION, The Stagecrafters, 11/22/2019-12/08/2019
HOLIDAY EXTRAVAGANZA, Colonial Playhouse, 11/29/2019-12/15/2019

Stage Magazine

  • Press Releases
    • Press Releases

      Application Deadline Nov 30th: Female Playwright Residencies –…

      Press Releases

      MCT Presents SHE LOVES ME

      Press Releases

      The Outlet at DCP Theatre: LOVE, LOSS AND…

      Press Releases

      Forge Theatre Presents: THE MAN WHO CAME TO…

      Press Releases

      Stagecrafters’ Courtroom Thriller: WITNESS FOR THE PROSECUTION

  • Callboard
    • Callboard

      Application Deadline Nov 30th: Female Playwright Residencies –…

      Callboard

      CALENDAR GIRLS, FORGE THEATRE, 11/04/2019

      Callboard

      MISS NELSON IS MISSING, DCP Theatre, 11/17/2019

      Callboard

      ANNIE, Neshaminy Valley Music Theatre, 11/19/2019

      Callboard

      BURIED CHILD, OLD ACADEMY PLAYERS, 12/07/2019

  • Marquee
    • All Openings
      Marquee

      THE MAN WHO CAME TO DINNER, Forge Theatre,…

      Marquee

      STONES IN HIS POCKETS, South Camden Theatre Company,…

      Marquee

      ONCE UPON A MATTRESS, Playcrafters Of Skippack, 11/07/2019-11/23/2019

      Marquee

      JOSEPH AND THE TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT, Kelsey Theatre, 11/08/2019-11/17/2019

      Openings

      THE MANOR, Colonial Playhouse at Greystone Hall, 11/14/2019-12/01/2019

      Openings

      KING OF PRUSSIA PLAYERS GALA AND SALUTE TO…

      Openings

      THE NUTCRACKER PRESENTED BY THE PENNSYLVANIA ACADEMY OF…

      Openings

      WITNESS FOR THE PROSECUTION, The Stagecrafters, 11/22/2019-12/08/2019

  • Theatres
    • Theatres – Philadelphia Region
    • Theatres – Florida
    • Theatre Locator Map
    • Reviews
  • Subscribe
    • Donate
    • Advertising Info
  • Contact Us
    • Advertising Info
  • POST YOUR OWN
    • Review
    • Audition Notice
    • Marquee Listing
    • Press Release
    • STAGE$avings Offer
Lights, Camera, FROST/NIXON
Reviews

Lights, Camera, FROST/NIXON

by Paul Recupero February 21, 2015

FROST/NIXON at The Players Club of Swarthmore, as directed by Bridget Dougherty, is a splendid production. Peter Morgan’s 2006 play is an adaptation of the true story of a series of TV interviews that occurred in 1977 between British talk show host / aspiring journalist, David Frost, and the then-resigned ex-President, Richard Nixon.

The heart of the drama is the high stakes involved with both primary players. Frost had bankrolled much of his own money to secure the exclusive interview in the hopes of augmenting his troublesome career. Nixon, who was widely viewed in disgrace, saw the interview as an opportunity to tell his side of the story to what he assumed would be a soft-ball inquisitor. If Frost fails to get the goods on Nixon, he will be penniless and unemployable. If Nixon fails to regain his image, he has no future in Washington or any way to return to the hearts of Americans.

Having never previously seen the play or the movie adaptation of the same name, I assumed the story would involve a healthy dose of simplicated Nixon bashing. Instead, Nixon is most complex character in the play and, arguably, the most sympathetic. Half of this is due to Morgan’s excellent script. The other half, though, is the tremendous performance given by Jeff Ragan. Ragan effortlessly mimics all of Nixon’s familiar vocal inflections, gestures, and head-bobs without ever descending into clownish caricature. He is fascinating to watch onstage and on screen (more on that later) and highlights his performance with a healthy dose of humor.

Also notable is Eric Jarrell as Frost, who plays the part of a “desperate journalist who doesn’t want to come across as desperate” very well. The scenes between him and his team of researchers (Thomas Robert-Irvin, Jim Broyles, and Anthony SanFilippo) are appropriately tense, as each man has much to lose if the interviews fail, which appears to be the case for much of the play. The other ensemble roles, many playing multiple characters, also shine.

The most engaging aspect of the production is the use of live video cameras to capture the debates as they occur on stage. A large screen behind the actors show Ragan and Jarrell’s performances live and in close-up. This is not just a cool effect, it’s crucial to the story because it shows the characters how the 1977 audience would have seen them. Nixon was largely chastised after the interviews, and with the way the interviews are presented in this production, it’s easy to see why.

With this positive comes a negative, however. In order for the actors to be filmed live, the large TV cameras have to be placed in specific locations downstage, while the actors themselves are sitting upstage. This placement almost certainly will obstruct the view of the interviews for anyone in the audience sitting close to the stage and at the sides of the house. This likely is unavoidable due to the required placement of the cameras. More perplexing, though, is that one actor has been staged close to center stage with his back to the audience, completely blocking the view of Ragan during the interviews for much of the audience until the actor eventually kneels down or moves away. My fiancee and I were seated in the middle of the right section of the house about two-thirds of the way back and even we had difficulty seeing Ragan sometimes. The solution is sit near the center of the house and, if you have to sit on one of the sides, sit as far back as possible in order to ensure a good view.

I only raise this negative because Jarrell and, especially, Ragan’s performances during the interviews are so engaging, it’s a shame to miss even a second. FROST/NIXON effectively juxtaposes humanity and high-stakes. Everyone involved should be commended for a great production of an important but often forgotten blip in media history.

FROST/NIXON
by Peter Morgan
Directed by Bridget Dougherty
February 13-28, 2015
The Players Club of Swarthmore
614 Fairview Avenue
Swarthmore, PA 19081
610-328-4271
www.pcstheatre.org

0 comment
0
FacebookTwitterGoogle +Pinterest
Paul Recupero
Paul Recupero

Paul Recupero has directed and performed in numerous plays and musicals at various venues in the greater Philadelphia area. Favorite productions include Chess, Glengarry Glen Ross, The Scarlet Pimpernel, Copenhagen, Children of Eden and The Crucible. He also has directed several shows for Devon Prep's theatre program. Paul enjoys all types of writing and has placed as a semifinalist in two national playwriting contests. He twice won first-place (back-to-back) in The Pennsylvania Lawyer Magazine’s Short Story Contest. Paul earned his J.D. from Villanova University School of Law and works as a civil litigation attorney for the firm Andrew Moore & Associates. He resides in Wayne.

previous post
Reading the Signals: MICHAEL & EDIE at Villanova
next post
William Shakespeare’s OTHELLO

You may also like

ALL MY SONS at Playcrafters of Skippack

DREAM NIGHTS at DN25 Company

THE SAVANNAH SIPPING SOCIETY at Early Bird Dinner...

Audience Review: STEEL MAGNOLIAS at Spotlight Theater

Audience Review: DIRTY ROTTEN SCOUNDRELS at Forge Theater

Audience Review: MAN OF LA MANCHA at Forge...

Audience Review: SHAKESPEARE IN HOLLYWOOD at Stagecrafters

Audience Review: MORNING’S AT SEVEN at Old Academy

Audience Review: THE LAST FIVE YEARS at Footlighters

Audience Review: DON’T DRESS FOR DINNER at Narberth...

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Sentry Password Protection Member Login
MEMBER LOGIN/SIGNUP
.
Forgot? Show

Stay Logged In
.
MY PROFILE
SIGN UP
Log Out
Javascript Required
For testing.

Marquee

THE MAN WHO CAME TO DINNER, Forge Theatre,...

STONES IN HIS POCKETS, South Camden Theatre Company,...

ONCE UPON A MATTRESS, Playcrafters Of Skippack, 11/07/2019-11/23/2019

JOSEPH AND THE TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT, Kelsey Theatre, 11/08/2019-11/17/2019

THE MANOR, Colonial Playhouse at Greystone Hall, 11/14/2019-12/01/2019

Upcoming Productions

Like Us

Facebook

About Us

About Us

StageMagazine.org

All of your theatre news in one place!


Founded by Holley Webster in 1976, STAGE Magazine began as a well-loved, paper-based newsletter that was often found in the lobbies of Philadelphia area theatres and the hands of audition-hungry actors.


Ms. Webster passed STAGE along to former Managing Editor, Ethel Guy, who kept the paper version of the magazine going strong. In 2009, Ethel graciously handed over the reins to current Digital Content Manager, Patricia Bradford, who successfully brought the publication online and eventually phased out the paper format to better conform to today's fast-paced Digital Age.


STAGE Magazine is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, which continues to serve theatres in the Philadelphia region while also expanding into Florida!


  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Youtube
  • RSS
Footer Logo

© 2010-[wpsos_year] • Stage Magazine. All Rights Reserved.


Back To Top