Jack Lyons, Theatre & Film Critic Member of American Theatre Critics Association (ATCA) - Member Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (ATAS)

When the pandemic and quarantining hit the arts community worldwide in February 2020, North Coast Rep Theatre (NCRT) of Solana Beach, CA responded as expected. They merely shifted their focus on how best to serve their audiences in delivering inventive and creative quality theatre while keeping its covenant with audiences by doing what no one does better than professional actor/performers: they keep performing through thick and thin.

NCRT adjusted to the demands of CDC guidelines and delivered their professionally produced plays by streaming their productions in a filmed format instead of closing their theatre until the pandemic was over.  Actors need to act.  Period.   It’s in their DNA.   And their audiences have responded in kind.               

North Coast Repertory Theatre (NCRT) launched its 39th season of stage productions in December of 2020 with the drama “An Iliad” only this time, the production had a twist. The production was produced and presented in a movie styled format, resulting in future NCRT productions during the pandemic would be mounted on the theatre’s stage and then filmed (without an audience) in the movie style format; to be released to streaming platforms for viewing at home by its audiences until live venues like NCRT get the ‘All Clear’ from California Governor Gavin Newsom to reopen.

NCRT’s initial venture into “movie format” productions, began in December of 2020 with the highly successful drama “An Iliad” that blended stage and screen techniques into a new and winning formula of how to present quality theatre entertainment to its subscriber base who remain at home during the pandemic.

The current and fourth production employing the same movie format viewing technique is a delightful, two character, insightfully written, little human comedy gem, entitled “Trying”.   Written by Canadian-American playwright Joanna McClelland Glass; “Trying” debuted this charming light comedic play in New York City in 2004. 

The story, in short, is set in the Georgetown District of Washington, DC in 1967.   It’s based on Ms. Glass’ experience as an assistant to the Honorable Francis Biddle, the highly respected US Attorney General and Chief Judge at the 1945-46 War Crimes Tribunal conducted in Nuremberg, Germany during the final year of his life. 

It would be a gross understatement to describe the 81-year-old Jurist as a grumpy, prickly, short-on-patience-at-times, nitpicking lawyer who treasures his Harvard old school traditions and friends along with the privileges that come from years of family traditions and old-school New England values. 

Judge Biddle was all that and more.  But he also harbored a softer hidden side in his later years and he is wonderfully portrayed, in a star turn, by award-winning actor James Sutorious, in a highly nuanced performance.  Sutorious was honored last season by The San Diego Theatre Critics as Best Lead Actor in NCRT’s production of “The Father”.

We have all worked for difficult bosses during our careers.  Administrative Assistants, however see their bosses through different lenses.  They work closely together, but rarely bridge the professional gap of boss and employee; never forgetting who each is in the workplace. 

East Coast New Englanders back in the 20th century prided themselves on their old-fashioned, stuffy decorum and Brahmin upper-class values, who spoke to the rest of us in a ‘foreign accent’; later to learn it to be a Boston Accent.  President Kennedy speaking about the democratic ‘potty’ always cracked me up back in his day…. But I digress.

The task of taming Judge Biddle’s workplace irascibility in “Trying”, falls to 25-year-old Sarah Schorr from Saskatchewan, Canada.  Sarah is fearlessly and winningly played by a fetching Emily Goss. The restraint in Sarah’s desire to give the Judge a piece of her mind is mitigated by the fact that she really needs this job.  And the chemistry between these two actors is palpable, engaging and entertaining.  So, let the games begin!                                       

“Trying” works as a two-character play with each actor feeding off the other’s exquisite performance under the deft direction of NCRT’s Artistic Director David Ellenstein.  It’s what makes this humor- imbued charming production such as pleasure to watch.

In the technical department led by Ellenstein, his creative design team includes: Aaron Rumley, as Stage Manager, Cinematographer and Film Editor; Marty Burnett, resident design wizard with over 200 productions on his resume, creates a “Trying” set that is richly textured and one of his best; Elisa Benzoni’s costume designs has the look of authenticity for the period; Phillip Korth is the Prop designer and Christopher Williams and Katlyn Slater complete the talented film team.

“Trying” is a Must-See production for aficionados of intelligent, insightful, quality, entertainment. This filmed production will stream through April 18.  For tickets and streaming information, contact NCRT box office at 858 – 481 – 1055 or go online to www.northcoastrep.org.