Every 98 seconds, an American is sexually assaulted. In
addition to that statistic, the Department of Justice estimates that there are
more than 320,000 victims of rape and sexual assault each year in the United
States. In 2015, only 32 percent of sexual assault cases were reported, which
means the already staggering numbers are actually higher.
Now, what if
many of the unreported assaults were committed by individuals who have pledged
to protect our country’s honor? Through May 21, Geva
Theatre Center explores this question with the world premiere of “Other Than
Honorable,” the second to last Wilson Stage offering of the season.
“Other Than
Honorable” follows Army officer-turned-lawyer Grace Rattigan, a woman whose
vulnerable emotional state is heightened by her husband Billy’s deployment to
an unknown location. While he is away, Grace decides to take on a military
sexual assault case that hurtles her eight years into the past and forces her
to make a series of monumental decisions. With a few supportive friends by her
side, Grace begins digging into the military’s greatest secret: sexual assault.
Playwright
Jamie Pachino has a list of awards and writing
credits that include the Kennedy Center Fund for New American Plays production
grant; screenwriting for Amazon and Disney; and a current position as a writer-supervisor
for NBC’s “Chicago PD.”
Her plays
have been produced in four countries, and this is her second world premiere at Geva (her play “Splitting Infinity” opened in 2006). Ms. Pachino’s work often carries heavy-hitting themes, and
“Other Than Honorable” fully embraces that quality.
Director
Kimberly Senior (Broadway’s “Disgraced”) carefully guides a cast of 11 through
the play’s gritty content. In the leading role of Grace Rattigan, Jessiee Datino holds nothing back
in her raw, emotional portrayal of Grace. She is the linchpin for the entire
show.
As Captain
Billy Rattigan, a character seen only on a projected screen, John Wernke is infinitely likeable as Grace’s calming, loving
spouse. Elizabeth Rich, who plays a dry-humored Dr. Brenda Kurtz, is at once
the supporting comedic role and catalyst for much of Grace’s life-altering
decisions early in the play, while Jason Kolotouros
delivers a chilling portrayal of Brigadier General Gideon Kane.
Rounding out
the cast are Aimé Donna Kelly (PFC Lydia Walsh),
Barbara E. Robertson (Alvina Croft), Juan Francisco
Villa (Major Hector Nuñez): all commendable in their
respective roles. Rochester-based actors Rory Cushman, Christian Hurdle, Jill Rittinger, and Ariana Rivera appear briefly as onscreen
“witnesses.”
Jack Magaw’s scenic design is masterful, incorporating a
revolving floor and walls with a capacity for video projections. Lighting
design by Josh Epstein informs the mood throughout each scene, while
projections by Miles Polaski add an impactful, chaotic
visual element. Costumes by Nan Zabriskie are so normal yet nuanced that they
manage to influence each character’s stage presence.
The original
music and sound design by Lindsay Jones is especially brilliant. Jones has both
film and stage scores under his belt, and his design for “Other Than Honorable”
feels a bit cinematic. The unforgiving, blaring rock riffs between scene
changes function as a conduit between audience and stage, creating more tension
as the show builds.
“Other Than
Honorable” is an exhausting, gripping, devastating triumph, exposing issues
that desperately seek a champion. After this run, it will undoubtedly be part
of many more theatrical seasons across the country.
A show like “Other Than Honorable” has the potential to
demonstrate that audiences do, indeed, want more than fun in a theatrical
experience. Some want to analyze, to be challenged, to be tasked with the
weight of issues usually swept under the rug. Hopefully, many Rochesterians will give “Other Than
Honorable” a try.
Saturday’s
house was eerily silent through much of the show’s two and a half hours, but
the curtain call was reminiscent of Geva’s February
show, “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner,” which brought the entire audience to a
standing ovation before the cast even took a bow. By producing the world
premiere of “Other Than Honorable,” Geva proves –
once again – that it is so much more than an entertainment venue.
This article appears in May 3-9, 2017.
