Theater Review: Asolo Rep's The Originalist

SARASOTA – Edward Gero towers over the stage as divisive, witty and articulate Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia in John Strand's acclaimed stage portrait that revolves around the imagined relationship between the justice and a liberal attorney who is supposed to be clerking for him during the 2012 Supreme Court session.

Cat (Jade Wheeler) is a Harvard Law graduate with the sort of resume young attorneys would kill for. A self-described flaming liberal, she shocks friends, classmates and even Scalia himself when she applies to be one of his clerks. Her reason, "I want to learn about monsters."

Scalia is portrayed to have taken on Cat (and other left-leaning clerks) in order to better prepare for cases he'd likely oppose and then better construct verdicts or dissents. Strand portrays the controversial justice as an affable contrarian with gruff edges, and the two characters forge a somewhat predictable meeting of the minds, even if they mostly have to agree to disagree.

In my other life as a political columnist, I've always found Nino Scalia to be fascinating. Ideologically, I don’t know that I could find less commonality with a modern political figure, nor do I subscribe to his originalist interpretation of the Constitution. That said, it was nearly impossible not to admire the man's titan intellect, stinging wit, tightly-constructed arguments and the courage of his conviction. Whether it was during a lecture, from the bench, or in one of the many dissenting opinions he authored, Scalia was an impressive man of clear and often powerful communication.

Strand's play, which opens during a college lecture and then takes place mostly in Scalia's office, deals closely with the landmark same sex marriage case United States v. Windsor.Strand manages to mine these traits of Scalia's for very engaging theater. Indeed, the 100-minute/no intermission production is one of the most tightly-paced plays in recent memory.

Asolo benefits from the enormous advantage of having Gero, who originated the role of Scalia when the play opened in Washington in 2015. Gero was able to observe Scalia in court and spend time with him outside of it. and the Shakespeare vet, who actually bears an uncanny resemblance to Scalia, nails his nuances perfectly. Indeed, it's quite easy at times to forget it's not the late justice himself onstage.

Wheeler has several very fine moments as Cat but never quite managed to match Gero's incredible presence at Friday night's opening, and though she fell more firmly into the character as the play progressed, there were moments when she couldn't quite manage to hold the intensity.

Third year FSU/Asolo Conservatory student Brett Mack gives a solid turn as Brad, a smarmy John Birch Society lackey and former rival of Cat's at Harvard, who reflects the tension of the ideological sides. Mack, who is also playing Bobby Kennedy in Asolo's rotating production of The Great Society (review), managed the impressive feat of snagging two Asolo Rep roles, despite tremendous competition for such parts among third-year students.

The Originalist is a uniquely-insightful look at what can be the artful dueling of competing political bends. As such, it feels quite timely, even if it mostly makes us long for the days when we only thought the nation was hopelessly divided. Scalia's recent passing also gives the play a different gravity (he was still alive when it opened) as the question of legacy it poses is now firmly cemented in the manner Strand seems almost hopeful would not be the case.

Fans of Scalia will find much to enjoy about not only Gero's performance but Strand's fair and somewhat benevolent portrayal of him. In the end, we see a serious man with deep convictions who tried to be brutally honest with the world as well as himself.