Full "Grant & Twain" Review

Hello to anyone who reads this! Tonight I decided that I wanted to post the full length review of "Grant & Twain," which is a play I went and saw Sunday at the Salt Lake Acting Company. A shorter version of this review appeared in the Daily Utah Chronicle today, but I wanted to post the full length version in case anyone wanted to read it. Plus, I figured that it might be cool to post this here in case anyone who doesn't read the Chronicle wants to see a really good play.

So, here it is.

There are few relationships out there more complicated than the intense friendship between two guys—also known as the bromance. For example, consider the dynamic between Sherlock and Watson, Frodo and Sam or Hamlet and Horatio. Trust is implicit for these comrades, and their bond only grows throughout their struggles and adventures. These popular bromances are easy to spot because of their endearing, sometimes stomach churning, side effects, which include tender moments of closeness and a refusal to acknowledge their co-dependency.

A relatively unknown bromance can be added to this list, and that is the relationship between Ulysses S. Grant and Samuel Clemens—better known as Mark Twain. Until recently, this seemingly paradoxical friendship between former president and renowned American writer remained hidden in lengthy footnotes and historical documents.

Playwright Elizabeth Diggs read the “Personal Memoirs of Ulysses S. Grant,” and was intrigued by the connection between these two unique individuals. So, she set out to investigate their lives. After three years of research, Diggs wrote the play “Grant & Twain,” which won the Edgerton Foundation New American Plays Award. The world premiere of “Grant & Twain,” will take place at the Salt Lake Acting Company Feb. 5- March 2. The show reveals the reality of General Grant and Mark Twain’s relationship, but allows fiction to help fill in the blanks.

"I appreciate how, through this play, Diggs paints Grant’s history and legacy in a positive light. So much that is popularly known of him focuses on his failures and scandals when, in reality, his other contributions far outweigh the challenges he faced and overcame," said Brien K. Jones, the actor playing Harrison.

The story takes place after the Civil War, but its themes, such as greed, power and friendship, make it relevant to a modern audience. General Grant experiences financial ruin after the war. Desperate to provide for his family, Grant agrees to write and publish his personal memoirs. Although his time in the army solidified him as a great American leader, he had yet to prove himself as a writer. So, Grant enlists Twain, along with historian Adam Badeau, played by David Spencer, to help him write a bestseller. The group initially disagrees on how to publish the book, but, eventually, Twain convinces Grant to entrust the book to his newly established publishing firm Charles L. Webster & Company. After Grant is diagnosed with cancer, writing his story becomes deeply personal, and he races to finish the book before he dies.

Marshall Bell makes his debut at Salt Lake Acting Company playing the 18th President and hero of the Union, Ulysses S. Grant. Although historically accurate, Bell’s portrayal of Ulysses S. Grant, a man known for his stoicism and modesty, borders on unexciting. For a story centering around him and his struggles, Grant disappears into the background in most of the scenes. Fortunately, the play’s focus on Grant’s relationship with his wife, servants and soldiers humanizes him, and, by the end of the play, the audience tears up as they watch the beloved war veteran wither away.

Samuel Clemens (a.k.a. Mark Twain), played by Morgan Lund, steals the show with his bold personality, witty one-liners and spot-on social commentary. Lund’s version of Twain is both original and entertaining, and each time he steps on stage he commands the attention of every audience member. Mark Twain is known as a bit of a scoundrel, and Lund captures this rogue aspect of his personality without becoming immensely unlikable.

"I was told to avoid any and all characterizations [of Mark Twain] in our media," said Morgan Lund. "[Instead,] I read historical accounts from his family, friends, neighbors and critics, and [I sorted through] a lot of his performances and letters. I sought out first person accounts of any and all encounters with Twain. Together with the descriptions and actions described by other characters in the play I came up with a Twain that works for [this production]."

While the story itself is based in history, the structure of the play is relatively modern. The episodes are short, which holds the audience's attention for the entire length of the play. Also, General Grant frequently flashes back in time to reflect on the war. These flashbacks are achieved through superb sound and lighting effects.

Another modern element of the play is its use of two seemingly minor characters. General Grant's butler Harrison, played by Brien K. Jones, and former Union soldier William Perkins Ingersoll, played by Ryon Sharette, remain on stage for the entire show. Although they don't have many lines, their continual presence adds emotional depth to the rest of the characters, and both are played brilliantly. They also reveal the reality of servitude present at this time in history.

"This is a fictional account of real people based on historical fact and then re-imagined," said Kathryn Atwood, the actor playing Grant's wife Julia. "I think re-imagining the past helps bring clarity in a way that just listing the facts cannot. Truth is found more often in fiction than in literal re-tellings."