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Good Boys and True
April 23 - June 1, 2008
Second Stage Theatre, New York
Lee Tergesen played Coach Russell
Shea in an Off-Broadway production of "Good Boys and
True" that began previews
on April 23, 2008. Its official opening was on May 19, 2008, and it continued through June 1,
2008.
The play, by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, is set in 1989 at an all-boys
Catholic prep school. For decades, the school has taken privileged
young men and shaped them into "good boys and true."
In the late
1980s, a scandal rocks the school and forces a mother (J.
Smith-Cameron) to confront the truth about her football-star son
(Brian J. Smith) and herself. The situation causes each to judge the
difference between teenage irresponsibility and what might be a
deeper, more unsettling lapse of character.
Other cast members include Kellie Overbey, Betty Gilpin and
Christopher Abbott. The play was directed by Scott Ellis.
The play was a brisk hour-and-a-half long, and
Lee had scenes spread fairly evenly throughout.
Lee first appears fairly early on. His
character, Coach Shea, discovers a videotape of a sexual encounter
between a teen boy and girl. The boy's face is obscured, but the
coach thinks he knows who it is and calls his mother. He tells the
mother privately because he is good friends with Brandon's father
and wants to help the family avoid a scandal.
The mother can't really tell whether it's
Brandon on the tape, and Brandon himself denies it. Soon, thought,
the tape is leaked all over the school. Coach Shea gets in some
trouble for withholding the tape from the headmaster and the team is
punished until someone comes forward with the truth. Meanwhile, the
girl on the tape is located (she works at the food court in the
local mall) and reveals that it is indeed Brandon on the tape.
Brandon’s Mom thinks that her son's actions are partially caused by
the atmosphere at the school, which has a reputation for sexual
exploitation. Indeed, Coach Shea tells her a story about two boys
who competed years ago to be captain of the football team. The coach
at the time encouraged the competition. One boy won and to prove he
was dominant, he beat up the other boy and raped him. Brandon's
father was the victor; Shea was the one who was abused.
Brandon eventually confesses to his mother, but
fails to explain the reason behind making the tape: To make the rest
of the team believe he's not gay. The tape had been planted in the
locker of the guy who stumbled on Brandon and his friend Justin,
while they were engaged in a sex act.
The play ends abruptly, but the actors were
good and the staging was creative and seamless. The storyline was
thought-provoking, with its themes of class privilege and sexuality.
"Good Boys and True" had its world premiere in December 2007 with
Chicago's Steppenwolf Theatre Company.
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