This More's an Ego for 'All Seasons'

Daniel Lavanga as Thomas Cromwell, left, confronts David Kerrigan's Sir Thomas More in "A Man for All Seasons." (Photos By Michael Deblois)

Thanks to English playwright Robert Bolt, Sir Thomas More is celebrated for being a man of pure principle, a paragon of unwavering moral integrity who remains steadfast regardless of circumstances. Thanks to the Arlington Players and its production of Bolt's 1960 drama "A Man For All Seasons," we see More as something less, and it is both refreshing and bracing.

Sir Thomas More was Lord Chancellor of England in the 1520s, a headstrong intellectual who refused to sanction or censure King Henry VIII's wish to divorce his aging wife to marry his mistress and try to produce a male heir. The king wanted More's endorsement, but the chancellor avoided the issue, painstakingly parsing his words and dodging actual comment. But silence equaled disapproval to most, which the king could not abide. More was eventually put on trial on false charges of being a traitor and was executed. The issue of the king's desire to change wives resulted in the throne's split with Rome and the establishment of the Church of England.

Bolt portrays More as a saintly figure, despite the historical record, which shows he zealously persecuted Protestants and did not mind torturing those who were considered heretics. In Bolt's view, More is a champion of individual conscience. But here, whether or not it was their intention, director Christopher Dykton and actor David Kerrigan give us a man who may be principled but finds his true strength in pride, arrogance and hubris. It is a much more interesting portrait.

Kerrigan's More revels in the sound of his own voice, crisply parrying each thrust aimed his way with precision and wit. His speech is precise and measured, his movements carefully calculated for effect. He hides behind intricately woven, logical arguments explaining why he will remain silent on the preeminent issue of his day. It is the self above all, and maybe even truth itself, for him. "What matters is not that it's true, but that I believe it," More says, before adding, "Or no, not that I believe it, but that I believe it." That line revealing More's subjective concept of truth and his spiritual vanity is the key to Kerrigan's impassioned and nuanced portrayal. This More refuses to give in, primarily because he deems himself smarter and purer and superior to other men.

Kerrigan gives More other non-heroic qualities, such as when his voice takes on a harsh edge when dealing with his undereducated wife (Frieda Enoch). His provocative performance is matched by strong work from the rest of the cast, particularly Daniel Lavanga as a scheming Thomas Cromwell. Lavanga allows us to sense malice lurking underneath his charm, his threat chilling in its detachment from emotion. Dan Yount provides bittersweet moments as the Duke of Norfolk, who admires More as a friend. Yount leaves no question that Norfolk will protect himself above all else, even when that includes turning on More, but we see the cost in his pained expression. Cal Whitehurst deftly plays a number of roles rolled into one character called "The Common Man," Bolt's narrator whose craven desire to always save himself is a marked counterpoint to More's supposed integrity.

"A Man for All Seasons" was written when it was still relatively novel to celebrate the questioning of authority. It is relevant again. This production questions the meaning of truth and the cost both to society and individuals when an authority figure refuses to take sides in a divisive public issue out of self-interest, denying deeply held beliefs about their place in public life.

"A Man for All Seasons," performed by the Arlington Players, continues through Feb. 17 at the Thomas Jefferson Theater, 125 S. Old Glebe Rd., Arlington. Showtime is 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, with a 2:30 p.m. matinee this Sunday. For tickets, call 703-549-1063 or visithttp://www.thearlingtonplayers.org.