Born On The Fifth of July

originally published September 24, 2003

The University of Georgia's Graduate Acting Company now in its second year, is mounting its first production of the season this week. Pulitzer Prize winner Lanford Wilson's The Fifth of July marks the fourth play for the GAC, following last year's Three Days of Rain, Wiley and the Hairy Man, and most notably, ART.

The Fifth of July takes place in a small Midwestern town on the weekend of Independence Day in 1977, the very weekend that marked the end of this country's Bicentennial. Four old friends reunite after their Berkeley days: Kenny, a handicapped Vietnam vet; John, a mover and shaker heading into the 80's with all the cocaine-fueled gusto of the business mogul he is; his wife Gwen, a capricious woman whose million-dollar company is sole interest of her husband; and June, Kenny's militant feminist sister.

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The house that serves as the set belongs to Kenny and June's aunt Sallie, a 64-year-old widow who has yet to dispose of her late husband's ashes a full year after his death. Instigating the story line are Jed, Kenny's lover; Shirley, June and John's illegitimate daughter; and Wes, the feckless hippie guitarist who is attempting a music career with Gwen.

The plot is entirely too intricate to fit into this article in detail. But I can tell you that it's the underlying emotion and in-between-the-lines subtleties that make this play appealing. In the words of director George Contini, Assistant Professor of Drama, "Thematically, the play concerns our human ability to adapt to change and survive... that theme is set against the social and political changes which occurred between the radicalism of the 1960s, the me-obsessed '70s, and the greed of the '80s."

The dress rehearsal I saw was still in its rough stages. Only one of the actors was aware I was in the house, so I do believe I received an honest performance. I only looked at my watch twice in about an hour and forty-five minutes.

The most capable performance came from performance graduate student Aaron Beelner, who played the part of John. As raw as the show was, there wasn't a single moment when I didn't wholly believe him. This is especially significant considering his character is the least likable in the play. Another fierce actor is MFA candidate Kara Cantrell, playing John's wife Gwen. It took her a few minutes of reciting her lines before she became Gwen, but from the moment she did, Kara was kinetic and enjoyable to watch. And a truly engaging performance was that of the bitter and pompous Kenny. His colloquialisms did not belong to the actor Blake Bowen, but truly to his character. The other graduate actors, including Henry Bazemore as Jed and Maggie Surovell as June were well on their way to matching the intensity of their cast-mates. And David Limbach as Wes added some nice comic moments to the heart-heavy content. The two underclassmen in this cast were not as authentic as their senior counterparts, but definitely indispensable in their roles.

The set design for the play is definitely noteworthy; the Seney-Stovall stage resembled the front porch of a two-story house. This set is outstanding, thanks to Brad Hellwig, the play's scenic designer. The minute details of the props were enough to create the ultimate setting, but the actual house is truly magnificent. A round of applause must also be given to Ben Coolik for his lighting scheme, as he moves you through daylight, twilight and evening with haunting shadow and controlled ease.

Contini's direction pays such close attention to detail that I truly felt as if I was getting a glimpse through a time-warp window into a year I do not know. Contini's hope of bringing a deeper understanding to those audience members who "only know the 1970s through such mediocre depictions as 'That 70's Show' and 'Charlie's Angels' reruns" has been realized.

Joanna Brooks

WHAT: The Fifth of July

WHERE: Seney-Stovall Chapel

WHEN: Wednesday, September 24–Saturday, September 27, 8 p.m.

HOW MUCH: $10–$12

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