The opening scene of Farragut North almost perfectly sets the stage for the 2008 behind-the-scenes-of-a-presidential-campaign play now getting its southeastern debut at GableStage in South Florida.
On a cold winter's evening in Des Moines, Iowa, three campaign operatives and a New York Times reporter have reached the point in a boozy conversation where one -- the wunderkind 25-year-old campaign communications director, Stephen Bellamy -- tells a tale about how in some previous local race in New York he once assured victory for his candidate by feeding information to the press that made the opponent seem anti-Semitic. The campaign-trail drinking mates -- perhaps impressed, perhaps only recognizing that they're supposed to be impressed -- nod appreciatively. Then, as the others slip away for the night, Stephen, the communications director gives the reporter an off-the-record tip.
So this is a tale of information -- true and false, planted or negotiated or confessed -- played out in high-stakes, presidential-primary politics. And this is a production at which the politicos in the audience will get the recent allusions and nod appreciatively at moments that will bring to mind scenes from TV's "The West Wing" or a real-life New York Times scandal.
Playwright Beau Willimon knows something about the campaign trail. As a senior in college in New York he volunteered for Chuck Schumer's successful campaign to unseat Senator Alfonse d'Amato; an incident from that race gave rise to the story told in the opening scene. In 2004, Willimon worked in Iowa for Howard Dean in advance of the caucuses that would end the Dean candidacy.
The stakes are high, as well, for the characters in Farragut North, which gets its name from the Washington, D.C., Metro station near the offices of political consultants, the campaign workers whose candidates lost. Stephen Bellamy would much rather being working at the White House after this election season than near Dupont Circle and Farragut North.
This is pretty much Stephen's play, and Nick Duckart's rendering hits relatively few notes, whether Stephen is tipsy, hung over, frantic, apologetic or pleased as punch with himself as the crucial caucuses near.
Other actors do better with roles that are unfortunately underwritten, especially: Gregg Weiner (as the drawling veteran campaign manager, Paul Zara), Deborah L. Sherman ( as the reporter, Ida Horowicz), and Robert Strain (who commands attention with his matter-of-fact stillness as Tom Duffy, a weary and wise campaign manager for the opponent).
