THE MINDSET OF MENACE: BENJAMIN GREGG

I’ve never really had the opportunity to portray multiple characters in a play, or at least not two characters as complex as Major Robbie Ross and James ‘Ketch’ Freeman. Throughout the rehearsal process thus far, I’ve found it challenging to switch between the two characters. They are obviously totally different people, with completely different objectives and perspectives that encapsulate the world of Our Country’s Good.

As we share some of our work this week at GLMCC (Greater Cleveland Michael Chekhov Consortium) the scenes that our ensemble will be presenting all feature Ross as the main antagonist of the play. I will be forthright that when I was first offered the role(s) of Ross and Ketch, I initially had some trepidation about playing Ross. In the second act, we see Ross’s desperation that veers on sadism to re-acquire his grip on power amongst the officers and prisoners. I’ve never really played a character like this and I’m anxious when we enter the final months of rehearsals to see how we plan on staging this brutality and mockery displayed in this scene.

In some of our more recent rehearsals we’ve been playing with the concept of environment and how that shapes our characters. I acknowledge that this may come across as problematic, but in addition to the various exercises we’ve utilized in our recent rehearsals as well as research about the actual Robbie Ross that I’ve conducted on my own, I think I’ve begun to empathize with Ross or at least begun to understand his mindset and why he behaves the way he does. I believe in Ross’s view, how could he not think that everyone around him has gone mad? Our contingent of officers and prisoners do have very limited resources at our disposal and considering that, we’re going to use our valuable time and manpower to…put on a play?! This is sheer lunacy. In my mind, by restoring order I’m trying to preserve the mission that we were sent here to conduct.

Additionally, (while this information is not necessarily disclosed within the context of the play) I’ve researched that Ross entered the service at the age of 16. He's spent his entire adult life climbing to the rank of Major and now here he is, where everyone around him has become a threat. In a sense, both the officers and the prisoners have come to challenge his authority and his identity as a high-ranking marine. Ross has also seen a tremendous amount of combat by the time we meet him in Our Country’s Good. He would have served in the Seven Years’ War as well as the American War of Independence. Later, in August of 1779 he was captured and taken prisoner by the French. What do you think something like that does to a person? You see his contempt at the very mention of the French early in the play as well as the shame and embarrassment he carries for being aligned with the losing side of the American War in the second act. I believe that in Ross’s view, this mission may be his last opportunity to get back into the good graces of the Admiralty and the rapid decline of his authority amongst his fellow officers and prisoners must be demoralizing to him. If you were in the situation what measures would you have to take to restore “order” amongst the prisoners and respect amongst your fellow officers? How far are you willing to go?