Year One of the Empire
Playing a historical figure like Henry Cabot Lodge was daunting enough, but in this inventive production at Metropolitan Playhouse, Gregory also played a war-torn soldier, a tribunal prosecutor, and the voice of many newspaper headlines of the day.
Along with 10 other protean actors, under the superb direction of Alex Roe, Gregory brought to life this sprawling account of the U.S. invasion of the Philippines during the Spanish-American War.
Written decades ago by two scholars, Elinor Fuchs of Yale and Joyce Antler of Brandeis, Year One of the Empire had never seen a New York premiere, largely because of its more than 60 speaking parts and dozens of scenes.
They must have done something right - The New York Times and other critics gave wonderful reviews, and New York Theatre Workshop picked up the play for a staged reading during its political festival in late 2008, directed by Moises Kaufman and starring David Harbour and Jay O. Sanders.
photo #1: Gregory as Senator Henry Cabot Lodge (center); from left: Michael Durkin, Sam Gordon, Jeanmarie Esposito, Michael Hardart, Olivia Lawrence, and David Patrick Ford; by Steven Lembark
photo #2: Gregory as a soldier, with Sam Gordon and Michael Hardart; by Steven Lembark
Gregory Jones
