What critics are saying. . .
The Examiner
"Keegan shines . . . The Washington area is blessed by the presence of many superlative theatrical troupes. Among these . . . Keegan Theatre . . .currently presenting a revival of Robert Bolt’s award-winning 1960 historical drama A Man for All Seasons. One of the main reasons for Keegan’s artistic merit is that they boast just about the best repertory of acting talent in town. Several of their regulars turn up in A Man for All Seasons, including Tim Lynch, Kevin Adams, Charlotte Akin, Carlos Bustamante, Robert Leembruggen and Mark Rhea. (The direction is in the capable hands of Rhea’s better half, Susan Marie Rhea.) . . . Lynch’s performance is a tour de force that succeeds in making the character [of More] believably flawed, sympathetic and all too human. He is provided with outstanding support by the rest of the cast. For almost a decade, Keegan has been a local gem providing audiences with first-rate productions of classic and modern theater at minimal prices. A Man for All Seasons is Keegan at its best. Reviewed by Doug Krentzlin
Potomac Stages
t A Potomac Stages Pick for a superbly engrossing and moving drama
"It is hard to say which of two major performances in this absorbing historical drama is the most satisfying - Tim Lynch as the man of conscience, Sir Thomas More, or Robert Leembruggen as "Common Man" who acts both the narrator and a host of smaller but not insignificant characters (he goes from servant to executioner). Both Lynch and Leembruggen are wonderful in their own way. Director Susan Marie Rhea shifts the focus from one to the other and back again with such felicity that there is a sense of balance to match the heft of the author’s more deeply moving moments. . . Lynch is the focus of so many of the scenes. . .He’s both superbly human and tremendously principled - no mean feat. . . there is a real humility here that makes his adherence to fundamental beliefs completely natural and sympathetic. Leembruggen comes to the fore time and time again to keep the play moving along and to act as the audience’s guide to what is happening. . . he strikes just the right comedic tone with his very first line, the opening line of the entire play. . . Charlotte Akin as More’s wife and Jon Townson as his sovereign are simply marvelous. Akin’s portrayal of the progress of Alice More’s steadily escalating sense of panic over her husband’s fate is fascinating, and Townson gives us an all-too-brief look at the young and virile Henry VIII. . . Carlos Bustamante is very good as the corruptible Richard Rich, as is Jake Call as the Spanish Ambassador to Henry’s court. . . Trudi Olivetti makes a fine contribution in the small part of the woman who gave More a gift that plays in the plot, but she makes even more of a contribution as the production’s dramaturg, for she created a fascinating study guide. . ." Reviewed by Brad Hathaway
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Washington City Paper
". . .The genius of Richard Bolt’s A Man for All Seasons is the canny thematic jiu-jitsu it employs. . . Bolt’s play cleverly recasts a dry ecumenical dispute as a treatise on selfhood. . . As More, Lynch turns in a wryly intelligent and sensitive performance, allowing us to see how the man’s many ingenious attempts to avoid his fate . . . are borne out of conviction, not mendacity or fear. There’s plenty to enjoy here: the cameo appearance by a bluff and hearty Henry VIII (Jon Townson), the transformation of low-status ankle-biter Richard Rich (Carlos Bustamente) into high-status ankle-biter, and the amoral pragmatism of the Common Man narrator (Robert Leembruggen) as he dutifully assumes whatever role is assigned him. Director Susan Marie Rhea has given the Common Man and More several brief, wordless moments together on stage . . . a nice touch, even as they underscore the moral gulf that separates the two characters. . . Kelly Peacock’s period costumes are appealingly sumptuous and believably threadbare depending on the script’s demands. George Lucas’ set design is attractive . . ." Reviewed by Glen Weldon
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The Washington Post
". . .Timothy Lynch gives the role [of More] a persuasively quiet resonance . . .you believe that he’s a man who might choose death over compromise. Because this air of unruffled probity is so well established, the scene in which More finally loses his cool. . . is genuinely affecting. This climactic moment of pathos also draws intensity from Charlotte Akin, who emphasizes the obstinacy and prickliness of Alice, More’s wife. . . Surrounding this ill-fated couple is an array of Renaissance wheeler-dealers, all portrayed with competence . . .Carlos Bustamante is interestingly nervous and callow as the young opportunist Richard Rich, and Jim Howard supplies efficient portraits of the crusty churchmen Cranmer and Wolsey. Jon Townson captures the mood swings and confident egoism of the monarch Henry, and he looks impressively flashy in his gem-studded doublet. . . (Kelly Peacock designed the creditable period costumes.) . . .Existing on a different level of reality from the courtiers and ecclesiastics is the Common Man . . .Robert Leembruggen is adequately cynical in this significant part, drawing on a trunk of accessories to transform himself from cameo to cameo. The trunk stands over to the left; the rest of the atmospheric set, designed by George Lucas, evokes a 16th-century hall and staircase. Rectangles of fabric, drenched in Dan Martin’s jewel-colored lighting, dangle overhead like stained-glass windows, underscoring the theme of spirituality. It’s a handsome enough spectacle to contemplate while the play unfolds . . .Fortunately, director Susan Marie Rhea keeps the pace brisk . . .given the knotty interweaving of politics and religion that mark our own era, this incarnation of Bolt’s chestnut justifies the last three words of its title. Reviewed by Celia Wren
All Arts Review 4 U
All Arts Review 4 U CRITIC’S CHOICE Theater: A Man for All Seasons (Keegan)
All Arts Review 4 U CRITIC’S CHOICE Best Acting: Robert Leembruggen/Tim Lynch (Keegan)
"There has never been such a well constructed play as Robert Bolt’s "A Man for All Seasons" which Keegen Theatre has wondrously brought to the Church Street stage. It is perfectly well cast throughout . . . Robert Leembruggen as the common man (or chorus) leads us with much quick wit through this historical period of conflict. Tim Lynch is masterful as the theologian who leads us though his royal conflict with charm, grace, and moral principles. Charlotte Akin does her best acting so far on local stages as the willful and temperamental wife. And, Melissa-Leigh Douglass is faultless as the concerned but supportive daughter. The scene of the family’s farewell in the prison was heart wrenching. Jon Townson as Henry . . . is stunning. Carlos Bustamante never fails to bring forth amazing characterizations. . . Others in this sterling cast are Kevin Adams, Jim Howard, Mark Rhea, Jake Call, Mike Kozemchak and Trudi Olivetti . . . the three hours to pass very quickly with riveting action thanks to the near perfect direction of Susan Marie Rhea. . .This is a highly recommend show that is excellent family entertainment." Reviewed by Bob Anthony
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DC Theatre Reviews
". . . What a thing to show, in this town, at this time! . . . To compress history into a historical drama, Bolt introduces a character he calls "the Common Man" (Robert Leembruggen) . . .[who] With wit and common sense, he moves the narrative along, fills in the gaps between the years, and tells us things we need to know. . . It is a clever device, and in Leembruggen’s skilled hands, an extremely pleasurable one to watch. Leembruggen’s wonderful performance is matched by that of most of the principals. Lynch sells himself completely as the precise, complex Sir Thomas, who seems soft as warm leather on the outside but is full of steel within. Charlotte Akin as his wife Alice is absolutely superb. Tough as a badger, she is a far more difficult adversary for Sir Thomas than the King or Cromwell, for she knows his pretensions and understands his weaknesses. When, towards the end of the second Act, all is lost she lets her true feelings show, and it unleashes a tsunami of emotion which reaches out to the very last row . . . [Carlos] Bustamante . . .is effective as a man who loses his moral compass one little bit at a time. Melissa-Leigh Douglass and Mike Kozemchak do nice turns as Sir Thomas’ daughter and her passionate, undisciplined husband. Company dramaturg Trudi Olivetti does fine work in a brief stint as a disappointed litigant. Townson hits all the right notes in his brief appearance as Henry. This is a meaty, lengthy play, with a great deal of complicated dialogue. Nonetheless, director Susan Marie Rhea made things move at a remarkably clipped pace, and the two-and-three-quarters hour production seemed to go by in half that time. . ." Reviewed by Tim Treanor
DCist
". . .the play seems contemporary, as martyr stories inevitably will. After all, who was Thomas More, if not a man who gave his life to stand up against a tyrant seeking to expand the range of executive power?. . . Director Susan Marie Rhea pulls a bit of a Thomas More herself, refusing to apply a partisan lacquer to the Keegan’s straightforward production. The show is as an actor’s feast, spreading its juiciest material among several parts, and Rhea seems content to stand back and let her gifted cast dig in. . . it works splendidly. Robert Leembruggen is charismatic and poignant as the Common Man . . .Carlos Bustamante is wonderfully oily as Richard Rich, the social climber who proves all too eager to adapt his own principles to the prevailing winds. As King Henry, Jon Townson nails his single, memorable scene, playing the ruler as a folksy backslapper who hides his lethal arrogance in a cloak of conviviality. . . Timothy Lynch is likable and commanding . . . this is a lively, well-acted staging of an admirably complex work, one whose versatility assures us it’ll be firing up ideologues of all flavors for some time to come." Reviewed by Christopher Klimek
MetroWeekly
". . .the role of Common Man (Robert Leembruggen), who provides both the most light-hearted laughs and the most chilling moments. . .[Leembruggen] does a great job as first a jester and then the voice of conscience for the people. Capturing the reluctance of common people to turn against More, Leembruggen slowly reveals that there is more to his character than manual labor. It’s a great theatrical device that director Susan Marie Rhea employs wisely. . . Bustamante has the most character development to work with -- the transformation of Rich from a political aspirant to a successful sell-out -- which is equally achieved through costuming and his own air of superiority. Akin and Douglass provide . . .heart to the show, bringing compassion to a story. . ." Reviewed by Tim Plant
