“When I first read the play,” Ferrie says of DavidRintels’ Clarence Darrow, “I didn’tfeel as though it was a good match for me, and I wasn’t real impressed with thescript.”
After reading Rintels’ one-man play a second time,Ferrie reconsidered. Ferrie says heidentified with the character’s upbringing and desire to question authority.Having decided to portray Darrow, Ferrie read a few books on the man and delvedinto more complex issues. When I spoke to Ferrie a couple of weeks beforeopening night, his relationship with the Darrow character had become aprofessional one, but he had yet to connect on a more personal level. Ferriehadn’t had the proverbial beer with Darrow, so he was still learning some ofthe more intimate, personal feelings and ideas that Darrow expresses throughthe course of the play.
The important thing is that Ferrie isn’t intimidatedby playing such a towering figure in U.S. history. Ferrie’s challengewill be to capture the essence of a man who was known as one of the nation’sgreatest lawyers, but who sometimes represented people accused of homicide andwas put on trial for jury bribery himself. Ferrie must connect to Darrow’s manypersonal levels, as his moral character will ultimately drive the drama in astaging that features minimal production elements.
Aiding Ferrie in the task is director Jaime Jastrab,who sees his role in the production as being an advocate for the audiencethereto ensure that Ferrie’s performance will serve them the way the play’s centralcharacter served so many in the early 20th century.
Boulevard Theatre’s production of Clarence Darrow runs through Nov. 1.
