The Zeitgeist Stage Company really hit one out of the park on their last production of the season, Beau Willimon’s Farragut North.  I have enjoyed each production that Zeitgeist has offered this season, but the impeccable acting, riveting story, and thoughtful use of staging put this show in a class all of it’s own.  I cannot begin to express how exciting and professional this production was.

Farragut North is a full speed chase.  Brilliant and young Stephen is on the fast track to political stardom; he is a gifted press secretary with panache and fortitude and he’ll stop at nothing to win the presidential race for his client.  When the opposing side approaches him the night before an extremely important caucus and offers him a job, it leads to a downward spiral he never could have anticipated.  The play runs like the best episode of the West Wing.  Full of huge characters and even bigger stakes, the audience is taken on a breathless journey into the cut-throat climate of Washington D.C. during an election.

This production can boast the best uses of the small BCA black-box theatre for the season.  The set was streamlined, tasteful, and inventive.  I especially liked the simple light changes used to wash the white glass wall units, they created a whole new feel for each scene without sloppily changing furniture or set pieces.  Daniel Jentzen should be proud of how effective his light design was.

Victor Shopov played the lead with poise and natural instincts; his portrayal of Stephen was absolutely spot on.  He had impeccable chemistry, whether it was with the tenacious and willful Molly (played with sophistication by Caitlyn Conley), the quirky and confident Ida (Dakota Shepard) or Stephen’s no-nonsense boss, Paul (Peter Brown).  I was not disappointed as I watched him go from top dog to in the dog house because he played each moment with the utmost realism.  Joining Shopov, Conley held her own as the young intern whose romantic exploits fanned the political fire of the piece.  She had a very natural stage presence and was hard to look away from, even when she was in pantomime.  Shepard played Ida, the hard-hitting reporter whose pleasant demeanor hides a real nose for rooting out a story.  She was great.  Her pacing really helped to pull the cast through some difficult and cerebral dialog sections and she didn’t trip over a single word.  I also enjoyed the stand out performance of Brown as Paul Zara.  The confrontation between Brown and Shopov was so electric that the whole audience was on the edge of its seat waiting for the next verbal blow. “Loyalty,” he spat, as if the very word was a bullet, “without it you’re nothing. In politics it’s the only currency that matters.”  That line echoed perfectly in the efforts of Zach Winton in his role as Ben Fowles.  The only character that exhibited true loyalty throughout the show, you see him rise through the ranks, ultimately taking Stephen’s place.  Winton was completely believable as the passionate and assured young speechwriter.  The cast as a whole (Bill Salem and Andres Rey Solorzano rounded them out, each nailing their characters) worked together seamlessly and had a united energy that was infectious.  They were able, as a unit, to move the story as effortlessly as if we were watching a well-cut feature film.   I was really delighted.

The Zeitgeist Stage Company has really left their mark on the Boston Theatre scene.   As their 10^th anniversary season approaches, I can say with confidence that they have carved out a very special niche in the south end, and their presence cannot be ignored.  The caliber of actors and their thoughtful and progressive eye on play selection leaves them in a very good place to take on a new decade of sharing their works with the community.  I commend them on a job well done this season and look forward to what 2010-11 has to offer.

Farragut_North_10 (L to R):  Victor Shopov, Dakota Shepard, Peter Brown, & Zach Winston in Zeitgeist Stage’s production of Farragut North.

Photo:  Richard Hall/Silverline Images