In the world premiere of The Originalist, by Charles MacArthur Award winner John Strand (Lovers and Executioners), Edward Gero takes on the role of Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, one of the most polarizing figures on the American political scene.
Strand explains that Scalia "has intrigued me for a long time because he's kind of a lightning rod. Half the country thinks of him as a monster and half thinks of him as a hero. I love to explore why that is. And how can you resist a character who's a brilliant jurist and also a showman at heart?"
Gero, a four-time Helen Hayes Award winner, starred as Mark Rothko in Arena Stage's 2012 production of Red and has appeared in the title role of Sweeney Todd at Signature Theatre. Among many other area credits, he has played 70 roles at Shakespeare Theatre over 30 years.
The Originalist is described as follows: "When a bright, liberal, Harvard Law School graduate embarks on a nerve-wracking clerkship with Justice Scalia, she discovers him to be both an infuriating sparring partner and an unexpected mentor. How will their relationship affect one of the most incendiary cases ever to reach the nation's highest court?"
That case is reported to be the one in which the court struck down the Defense of Marriage Act last year. Scalia was one of the dissenters in the 5-4 decision.
Arena Stage's artistic director Molly Smith directs. Though the play is reportedly partially based on Scalia's written opinions, Berkshire Onstage reports that "Smith has said that the purpose of this play is not so much to recreate the Supreme Court's workings as to use the work to highlight the bitter divisions in this country over basic political discourse. 'Is there a middle ground anymore, and how do you get there?' she asks."
The Originalist runs March 6 - April 26, 2015 in Arena Stage's Arlen and Robert Kogod Cradle.
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