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"I THINK AARON WORKS FOR THE CIA By Noam Friedlander Photos By Rob Greig August 17-24, 2005 In the TV drama The West Wing, Aaron Sorkin wrote storylines that Rob Lowe found scarily prescient. Now they’re reunited for a West End play about how far democracy can go to protect itself. An underwhelming dusty church hall in the back streets of Paddington provides the unlikely venue for a West Wing reunion. After three years working together on the acclaimed show, Aaron Sorkin and Rob Lowe are joining forces again. | |||
Lowe’s performing in Sorkin’s political play A Few Good Men in the West End, first staged on Broadway in 1989 and later adapted into an Oscar-winning film.
The affection between the pair is apparent: they finish each other’s sentences and have a deep appreciation for their respective work. Both men are also modestly uncomfortable with direct compliments. They are two days into rehearsals and, whileit’s calm in the church hall, in nearby Paddington Green police station a suspect is being held for his part in the attempted July 21 London bombings.
Time Out: The play features Guantanamo Bay-based soldiers who feel they’re doing their duty to save a country. Are you intending to rewrite it in light of the current political situation?
Aaron Sorkin: The play has taken on new meaning, but I’ve not updated it. I think that would be a mistake . . . It’s a play, not a movie of the week, it shouldn’t be disposable. In rehearsals we’ve spent alot of time talking about all these issues, but this play was obviously written before 9/11, before July 7 and before Abu Ghraib.
Time Out: If you’re not rewriting this, what is your level of involvement?
Aaron Sorkin: I’m treating this as if it’s the first time we’re doing the play. In other words, my involvement is the same as it was 16 years ago when we did it on Broadway, from casting, through to the design. I’m going to give them time by themselves. I’m not going to stand over their shoulders. But I’ll keep coming back here during the rehearsal process. I’m very much invested in this production.
Rob Lowe: I just want to add that I think sometimes the best way for an audience to experience and have a discussion about current, relevant issues is to see a play where the issues are not set in the present. This is a good opportunity for people to talk about what it means to protect a nation. What do you sacrifice? What is the cost, both good and bad? I actually think the play would be less relevant if it were to be updated.
Time Out: Did you have any idea that the name "Guantanamo" . . .
Aaron Sorkin: . . . that it would turn into what it is today? No, absolutely not. |
 Aaron Sorkin & Rob | |
Rob Lowe: The love a writer feels for an actor who can make their work sing [is the same love] an actor feels for a writer who can give them every club in the bag to go out and play the best round of golf in their life. Aaron’s that for me. I was sitting at my desk thinking: I have to figure out something to do with Aaron again. What about A Few Good Men? No one’s done that in a long time. Maybe Aaron would be interested. Meanwhile . . .
Aaron Sorkin: . . . two things happened at once. My agent called and said that Bill Kenwright wanted to do A Few Good Men in the West End. I love the idea, but it’s an extremely actor-sensitive play. You’ve got to have the right guy. Then, truly, it was in the same two weeks that Rob’s agent called and said, Rob wants to do A Few Good Men. I thought: This could be my chance to have the guy I’ve always wanted to have to do this. We met for lunch and I wanted to make sure he knew what he was getting into. It’s an extremely physically demanding part. You don’t get another take and his name’s going to be in gigantic letters over the theatre.
Time Out: There were rumors that your relationship had become acrimonious following your departure on WW. Why did you leave?
Rob Lowe: Well it was definitely a hard time for everybody, particularly because of my affinity for Aaron, you know, both personally and professionally. But there just comes a time in life where, for various reasons you go. It’s time to move. Also I just didn’t feel the show could stay at that level. Sure enough, Aaron was gone about four . . .
Aaron Sorkin: A couple months later, yeah.
Time Out: You obviously didn’t fall out then?
Aaron Sorkin: No. Mark Twain’s got that great quote: ‘A lie can get halfway around the world before the truth can get its boots on.’ That story became what most people accepted as truth, that Rob and I had a falling out, which I absolutely did not have. I wasn’t angry. I was heartbroken when Rob left the show because I loved coming to work with him every day. There was never a problem.
Time Out: There was a piece in the Observer recently that claimed you wrote WW while high on crack.
Rob Lowe: [to AS] You’re good, but you’re not that good.
Aaron Sorkin: I would challenge anyone to, hey listen, I don’t think it’s a secret that I’ve had my struggles with substance abuse and crack was one of them. So I can tell you with authority: you cannot smoke crack then write something, a laundry list, anything. I don’t want to get into it, but of course I wasn’t high on anything.
Rob Lowe: I was there the whole time.
Time Out: And you’ve been sober since May 10, 1990?
Rob Lowe: There were a few of us on WW who share sobriety. It’s a fellowship.
Aaron Sorkin: Yeah.
Rob Lowe: It truly is. I’m fortunate enough to be in a place in my life where it’s not something I think about. But when you run across people who are struggling or are doing what I did 15 years ago, you can help.
Aaron Sorkin: I drink Yoo-hoo now, which is a delicious [American] chocolatedrink.
Rob Lowe: Can we buy it here?
Aaron Sorkin: [To RL] Oh yeah, we’re gonna have some [in the play]. You’re going to be drinking it all the time, and I want to see you really drink it, by the way. Tom Hulce [who acted in the original Broadway production] was using colored water. He’s on a health thing and he didn’t want to drink Yoo-hoo on stage.I want to see you downing the real stuff.
Rob Lowe: OK, I ask you, do you think I’m oing to drink a Yoo-hoo? You know I’m going to do it, I’m going to do it, I’m the man.
Time Out: Aaron, you’re putting yourself under pressure again with a new series?
| Aaron Sorkin: Yeah, the schedule is ferocious and a lot of pressure. The kind of pressure I always felt the most, on WW for instance, wasn’t the ratings or budget pressure, it was two things: I always wanted the cast to like the script and I wanted to earn my place at the table. I wanted every episode that we were doing to be as good as our best episode. I don’t know if it’s the same way with acting? You always think this one I’m doing is going to be the one where I get found out. | ||||
Rob Lowe: You do feel that. There was a culture that came from Aaron that doesn’t exist anywhere else. I knew that we were doing something special when we were sitting at the Emmy party thinking about the scenes we had to do the next day.
Aaron Sorkin: Yeah, it’s true. It was a great place to work. It was an extraordinary cast. A once-in-a-lifetime cast in television. I’ve really been blessed my whole career with great casts that have, I think, made me look better than I probably am.
THE BACKSTORY
Five things you need to know about Sorkin’s politically charged play
1. Sorkin got the idea for A Few Good Men from his sister. It was loosely based on her experiences at the military facility at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba.
2. A Few Good Men was Sorkin’s first play, and he started writing it just after university. The movie rights were sold before it premiered.
3. The play made its Broadway debut at the Music Box Theatre on November 15, 1989, starring Megan Gallagher, Stephen Lang, and Tom Hulce. The play closed on January 26, 1991 after 497 performances.
4. Tom Hulce was nominated for a Tony Award in 1990 for best actor, while Megan Gallagher won the 1990 Theatre World Award for her performance in the play.
5. The film, starring Jack Nicholson, Tom Cruise, and Demi Moore, was released in 1992. The word ‘sir’ is used 164 times during the movie - an average of once every 50 seconds.
Time Out Magazine ~~ August 17-24, 2005