THE LEHMAN TRILOGY - Edward Gero - Guthrie Theater

THE LEHMAN TRILOGY - Edward Gero - Guthrie Theater

The Lehman Trilogy is now in rehearsal at the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Stefano Massini’s epic multi-generational story, adapted by Ben Power and directed by Arin Arbus, chronicles the true-to-life rise of three Jewish immigrant brothers who built their own version of the American Dream from a small fabric business in 1844 to the international financial firm whose spectacular collapse in 2008 sent global markets spiraling out of control. The Guthrie Theater production includes Edward Gero, Mark Nelson and William Sturdivant in the cast of three who play the Lehman brothers and recreate all of the over fifty other roles.

Edward Gero’s performance is another highlight in a distinguished, award-winning career spanning forty-seven years with upwards to one hundred fifty roles and counting. In our 2018 CONVERSATION, Gero was in the middle of a run of The Originalist at Court Theatre in Chicago. Last season in Washington, he appeared in Angels in America at Arena Stage and earlier this year, in the critically-acclaimed production of The Lehman Trilogy at the Shakespeare Theatre Company that has now transferred to the Guthrie and opening September 19, 2024.

There is much more in our CONVERSATION about the inner workings of the show and balancing a professional career with the rigors of serving as a full professor at George Mason University from one of America’s most accomplished and gifted actors, Edward Gero.

LISTEN to the CONVERSATIONS podcast on Apple Podcasts

About The Lehman Trilogy …
Edward Gero: “The Lehman Trilogy is an amazing piece of writing. It's a play that covers the arc of the Lehman Brothers who arrived in 1844 in America and we follow the family over several generations, 150 years, through to the collapse of the Lehman Corporation in 2008. … we're really seeing the story of the rise of America and capitalism through the immigrant experience of these three men and their descendants. It's a remarkable play … three acts. … in a Greek trilogy form. Three actors. Three hours. We never leave the stage and we play the three brothers and a total of probably fifty other characters by the end of the evening.”

On the Washington DC production …
EG: “We did the play back in March (2024) at the Shakespeare Theater Company in Washington, directed by Arin Arbus. That was really daunting. It's a lot of text, right? … each one of us have roles that are longer than King Lear, probably close to Hamlet. So, it took two months to learn it, because it's not just straight dialogue. It's narrative. You become characters. It's a juggling act really and so that style of storytelling was very different. It's very Greek. I think that's my sense of it. It's like, let's gather around a fire and we're going to tell you the story of America through the eyes of these three brothers, and we'll take on the character as we go. We had maybe three and a half, four weeks of rehearsal to put it together. So we had to work ahead of time to be ready to get it up. … we worked very quickly and efficiently. And the design for those who have seen the Broadway production—it's now reopening on the West End—Sam Mendez directed it originally in a sort of acrylic box that moved very sort of contemporary. We did it on the proscenium. It was more open.”

Moving the show to the Guthrie …
EG: “We were very fortunate that the Guthrie was interested in bringing our team up here. We had to replace one actor. René Thornton Jr. was very fortunate to book (the national tour of) Harry Potter. We have William Sturdivant an actor from the Minneapolis area who's terrific. … Mark Nelson and I, who have done the play before, are finding different nuances. But we're shifting from a proscenium to a thrust. So that's challenging to unlearn what we knew … to open it up and change the space. And there's a much more intimate, direct connection to the audience in this configuration than the proscenium. It's the same set. They had to make some modifications. There are a lot of rear projections. So there is a sort of proscenium section of this thrust and the rear projection screens are there.”

Playing Multiple Characters …
EG: “The challenging ones are the ones that you have to turn on a dime and then let it go. And you have to want to find some way to establish it as quickly as you can. … changing the voice or changing the physicality, that's the challenge of keeping the balls up in the air. It really is juggling. Not only is it epic, Homeric—because the original novel is written by an Italian—there's also the Virgil tradition,. There is the Commedia tradition. There is Fellini. There is circus. It really feels like a circus. You're juggling lines, you're juggling characters and the magic of it is to be able to transform in a beat and then let it go in a beat.”

Performing at the Guthrie Theater…
EG: ”I've wanted to work here since I was a young actor. Many of the actors that I admired and watched and emulated and learned from and, in some cases, had the privilege of working with came from the Guthrie, whether it was with Tony Guthrie or Michael Lanham, Garland Wright, Joe Dowling. I have worked with Joe several times. It has been a destination. … The regional theater movement was sort of anchored by Arena Stage in Washington, the Goodman in Chicago, and the Guthrie in Minneapolis. And it took me forty years, but I finally got the trifecta. … It's a thrill and the new building is spectacular. The architecture is really interesting. I have not had a chance yet to explore Minneapolis because we are in rehearsal, but I am looking forward to maybe getting to a Vikings game.”

The Future …
EG: “There are some roles I'd like to do. I would like to get a shot at a play like Death of Salesman … or Prospero or Falstaff. I've done Falstaff in (Henry IV) Part 1. I'd like to finish that. Lear. … There are a few still out there … some got away… like Brutus and Iago, but, you know, maybe there's a chance for Iago. I don't know. I'll do the older version of Iago. Maybe he's just an old grouchy man, who knows.?”  

This content has been edited for clarity and length.

PHOTO|Joshua Cummins

GUTHRIE THEATER
presents

THE LEHMAN TRILOGY

September 14 (Previews)
September 19-October 13, 2024

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PICKSINSIX Review: The Originalist

A FASCINATING, PROVOCATIVE EVENING OF THEATRE

Firing on all cylinders ... John Strand’s The Originalist is a richly-complicated exploration of The Honorable Antonin Scalia, showcasing a superb performance by Edward Gero. The Asolo Repertory Theatre|Arena Stage|Pasedena Playhouse production, directed by Molly Smith with Associate Director Seema Sueko, also features fine performances by Jade Wheeler and Brett Mack. The Originalist premiered in March 2015 at Arena Stage in Washington, and then at Asolo and Pasadena in January and May 2017 before a return engagement in Washington last summer. This production is currently firing on all cylinders, from all chambers, and at least one rifle range, at Court Theatre through June 10th.
  
Heated discussions ... I will leave the historical and legal commentary regarding the arc of the discussions in dialogue to the scholars in those disciplines. What I will say is that the heated discussions between Scalia, the late Supreme Court Justice and Cat (Wheeler), a Liberal (capital “L”) law clerk and the Conservative (capital “C”) Brad, a recent law school graduate unwind and expose an array of the major positions in his judicial career. This is a fascinating, provocative evening of theatre!

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Always right ... Scalia was a colorful portrait in complexity. An exceptional student - he admits to being “only wrong once" - Scalia lived by the tenet that rulings are to be made “on law, not emotion.” Brilliant, articulate, exasperating, and described as a “monster,” which he took as a compliment, Scalia was a self-described “shin-kicker” and a bit of a “contrarian.” In the political spectrum, Scalia was convinced that strong opinions, thoughtfully and constructively presented, are of vital importance. He was respected by his peers on the Court, most notably Ruth Bader Ginsburg, even as they considered his opinions flawed. In his own estimation, Scalia was always right. Always. Except for that one time.

Outspoken, determined and controversial ... Strand has artfully fashioned a story in and around Washington, D.C. during the 2012-2013 Supreme Court term, which seems like a very long time ago politically. This timing allows for Scalia to extoll and vehemently defend his positions while at the same time exposing the more deeply religious, family man who appreciated Shakespeare and opera, had a keen sense of humor, and an intensely competitive spirit. As an originalist – one defined as a defender of the literal interpretation and principles of the U.S. Constitution as the foundation of our democracy – Scalia was outspoken, determined and controversial. In his interchanges about court actions, we see through Scalia’s lens that it is as important to understand and respect opposing opinions as it is to defend our own.

A conversation starter ... This production is a conversation starter as evidenced by the comprehensive program notes, interviews and programming schedule that Court Theatre has developed over the run of the show. 

The takeaway... Don’t waste your time in the “wishy-washy” middle. Take a stand. Go for the jugular. Be respectful, but set your sights on the bullseye every time.

CAST PHOTOS|Gary W. Sweetman
EDWARD GERO|C. Stanley Photography

ASOLO REPERTORY THEATRE
ARENA STAGE
PASADENA PLAYHOUSE PRODUCTION
THE ORIGINALIST
COURT THEATRE
through June 10th
WEBSITE | TICKETS
(773) 753-4472

For more reviews, visit: Theatre In Chicago

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CONVERSATIONS PODCAST: Season 3 Episode 10 (Originally Posted May 30, 2018) Award-winning actor Edward Gero joined the conversation to discuss his portrayal of Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia in John Strand's The Originalist during the Chicago run at Court Theatre. The compelling and provocative Asolo Repertory Theatre, Arena Stage, Pasadena Playhouse production is directed by Molly Smith with Associate Director Seema Sueko.