A Little More: Nevada Conservatory Theatre sees ‘Man for All Seasons’ play as relevant to our times

Thursday, Feb. 10, 2005 | 8:18 a.m.

In October 2001, Russ Feingold was the only senator who voted against the anti-terrorism bill, H.R. 3162, otherwise known as the Patriot Act. In a speech from the Senate floor about civil liberties in a post-9/11 world, Feingold referred to a quote from Robert Bolt's "A Man for All Seasons," in which Sir Thomas More is beheaded by Henry VIII for treason.

The quote occurs in a scene between More and his daughter's suiter, Will Roper, in which Roper says he would cut down every law to get to the devil. More responds: "And when the last law was down and the devil turned 'round on you, where would you hide Roper, the laws all being flat?

"The country is planted thick with laws from coast to coast, Man's laws, not God's! And if you cut them down (and you're just the man to do it), do you really think you could stand upright in the winds that would blow then?"

Over the past few years, that quote has turned up in editorials and at religious rallies, and has been stated by leaders and human-rights groups who use More's statement in arguing social and political issues, namely the Patriot Act, opposition to gay marriage, civil liberties and an "illegal war" in Iraq.

When the Nevada Conservatory Theatre presents "A Man for All Seasons" this weekend at Judy Bayley Theatre, audiences will have a chance to hear the famous words within the full context of the story.

Bob Brewer, artistic director of the Nevada Conservatory Theatre (and director of this production), selected the play for its relevance in today's society.

"It's very timely," Brewer said. "It's kind of sad, but true. When I selected it last year I talked about why we needed it."

For those not familiar with the story, More, a noted 16-century philosopher, lawyer, friend of Erasmus and author of "Utopia," a novel about an ideal society founded on reason, became a member of parliament, then aligned with Henry VIII. More eventually became Lord Chancellor.

A deeply religious man, More did not support King Henry's desire to divorce Katherine of Aragon, a marriage the pope had sanctioned despite Katherine being the widow of Henry's brother.

When Henry broke from Rome and the Catholic Church (establishing the Church of England), More refused to swear to the Act of Succession and Oath of Supremacy. For this, he was beheaded.

Current events

Politically and socially, More's nobility and heroism have been embraced by conservatives and liberals who use More as an example in advancing their causes.

In an editorial for the Los Angeles Times, Jonathan Turley, professor of constitutional law at George Washington University, refers to John Ashcroft as a "constitutional menace" and a threat to civil liberties by creating camps for U.S. citizens deemed "enemy combatants" and stripped of constitutional rights.

Turley writes, "Every generation has had Ropers and Ashcrofts ... every generation has its test of principle in which people of good faith can no longer remain silent in the face of authoritarian ambition ..."

Last year, in opposition to gay marriage, Archbishop Sean P. O'Malley of Boston suggested that lawyers have the courage of More, who "lost his life defending the sacredness of marriage."

During the impeachment hearing for President Clinton, "A Man for All Seasons" was referred to more than once in regard to upholding the law and the importance of taking an oath.

Additionally, Roger Normand, executive of the Center for Economic and Social Rights, along with author Jan Goodwin, spoke against the illegality of pre-emptive war, racial profiling and an attack on civil liberties in a 2003 editorial available on CESR's Web site.

It reads, "With U.S. troops engaged in battle, Americans will pray for their safety and for a time also rally 'round the government. But before it is too late, we would do well to heed Sir Thomas More's advice to Will Roper ... in the play, 'A Man for All Seasons.' "

More, the hero

Brewer said he feels passionately about the play's historical context and the need for heroes today.

"This is about a special and unique man who believed in what he believed, and had virtue and morals," Brewer said. "We've become a sort of amoral society."

In the wake of 9/11 and the Patriot Act, Brewer said of More: "He talks about the law itself. How important laws are and how important it is to protect these laws."

Also, Brewer said, "It's time for the youth today to find heroes. We have a lot of statesmen, but not a lot of Mores ... More was a very peace-loving man. The kind of war we're fighting in Iraq is not something he would have believed in."

As a teenager, Brewer saw the production on Broadway starring Paul Scofield as More. The play was turned into a movie in 1966, also starring Scofield.

It won six Academy Awards, including best picture, best actor, best cinematography, best director and best writing for a screenplay based on material from another medium.

"It's always been a play I always wanted to do," Brewer said. "I remember moments vividly, especially the killing.

"The murder of Thomas More is a blemish to English history."

The production, with a 12-member cast, period costumes and several theatrical devices, is large and more costly than other NCT productions. Brewer said that several churches in the community have called about group rates.

Craig King, coordinator of Faith Formation at St. Francis of Assisi in Henderson, the same church that sold tickets for Mel Gibson's "The Passion of the Christ" at the parish (and received a special screening for the congregation), said the church purchased a block of 100 tickets for the production.

King sees More's life as a very powerful story and, he said, "very pertinent for our times."

Dorothy Distel, member of St. Thomas More Church in Henderson, said that More represents justice and truth and "even when it's hard, you speak for truth."

Regarding the play, Distel said, "I think that's why it's so important for us today. Those times were no easier than our times."

Playing the role

Using equity actors, Brewer said he had to go searching around the country for the right performers.

G.W. Bailey, best known for portraying wheeler-dealer Rizzo on "M*A*S*H," plays the Common Man, an intuitive, humorous character we see throughout the production.

Brewer chose James Sutorius, a Shakespearean actor who has performed as Valmont in "Les Liaisons Dangereuses," Leonato in "Much Ado About Nothing" and John Proctor in Arthur Miller's "The Crucible." He has also appeared in such television shows as "CSI," "Ally McBeal" and "The X-Files."

"You wait around a long time for these," Sutorius said, referring to his role as More. "I've wanted to play this since I was a kid. They don't do it often in the country. They should because it speaks to today, the morals, values and ethics."

Sutorius recently participated in the opening of the Kirk Douglas Theater in Los Angeles (where Sutorius resides) and its new play, "A Perfect Wedding."

For the role of More, Sutorius, who describes himself as an instinctive actor, did go to St. Thomas More Catholic Church and visited with More's statue.

The martyred More was made a saint in 1935 and in 2000 the Pope made him Patron Saint of Politicians.

Regarding More, Sutorius said, "He's a man of great mirth, a lot of fun, loves animals, music, he was a renaissance man. He's a very simple man, too. I may play him more as a regular man, show him as a lot of fun.

"Everybody thinks they have convictions and principles. Some might see him as a fool. It's up to (audiences) to decide if he's a hero."

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