[NEohioPAL] Review of "Farragut North" at Ensemble Theatre

[Bob Abelman via NEohioPAL]

Ensemble Theatre’s ‘Farragut North’ is stuck in a political spin cycle



Bob Abelman

Cleveland Jewish News, The News Herald, The Morning Journal

Member, International Association of Theatre Critics





With a candidate debate in Cleveland’s rear view mirror and a party convention on its horizon, the timing for a play about the current state of American politics couldn’t be better. 



But while the timing is right, the play selected by Ensemble Theatre isn’t.



Beau Willimon’s “Farragut North” offers an insider’s view of the cut-throat strategizing, rampant paranoia and high testosterone that drives the team that drives the campaign of a would-be President.  The play, written in 2008, is inspired by Willimon’s first-hand experience working as an aide on Howard Dean's 2004 run for the White House that self-destructed during the Iowa caucus.



It could easily have been inspired by the abundance of films that share its singular focus on the real power behind politicians, including "The War Room," "Primary Colors," “The Candidate” and “Wag the Dog.”  Yes, this has been done before and, more recently in the 2011 film “The Ides of March” and the Netflix original TV series “House of Cards,” it has been done better.  And both were written by Willimon.





For the rest of this review, go to www.clevelandjewishnews.com/columnists/
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