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This one's for the blue states, and excellently staged by Remy Bumppo Theatre.

Tuesday Sep 26, 2006.     By Rory Leahy

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Novelist and commentator Gore Vidal didn't write many plays, and as Remy Bumppo's production of his 1960 political drama, "The Best Man" demonstrates, that's a real shame.

This work, directed by James Bohnen, shows Vidal to be a master of the theatrical medium: The dialogue is endlessly entertaining, the ideas it explores are nicely complemented by the emotions of the characters, and despite a two and a half hour running time, the play feels tightly paced.

It's likely that most commentary on this show will note how little has changed in the world of politics in the last few decades. Indeed, there is much familiar in this story, which pits the presidential ambitions of witty, erudite and idealistic (but privately philandering) former Secretary of State William Russell (David Darlow) against those of the telegenic but ruthlessly amoral Senator Joe Cantwell (James Krag).

That said, the play provides a glimpse into the glamour of an earlier political era, one with genuinely exciting party conventions, at which candidates were genuinely nominated instead of merely anointed as they are today.

Russell seems to have a touch of Vidal's kinsman, JFK, in him, though his closer inspiration was obviously Adlai Stevenson, the "egghead" candidate who, upon being told that he would have the votes of every intelligent person in America, quipped "But I need a majority!" This is the core theme of "The Best Man:" The anti-intellectualism of American life.

Vidal unabashedly trumpets the idea, so scorned by today's billionaire populists, that those who speak cleverly and read books make better leaders than those who do not. In other words, this one's for the blue states. The political intrigue, which centers on Cantwell's willingness to destroy his opponent's reputation and Russell's crisis of conscience over whether to respond in kind, is plenty intriguing, but takes a backseat to the personalities involved.

Darlow's Russell is a truly charming and animated presence, the kind of candidate you want to have the finest house champagne with in lieu of a beer, while Krag projects a sociopathic blankness. Annabel Armour brings warmth to the potentially thankless role of Russell's neglected wife, Alice, and Gene Janson nearly steals the show as a colorful, morally ambiguous ex-President.

This is a show that purports to be about the dark and sordid side of politics, but ultimately brims with affection for the ideals of public service. It only wants us to think it's being cynical.

Through Nov. 5 at Victory Gardens Theater, 2257 N. Lincoln. Shows 7:30 p.m. Wednesday-Saturday; 2:30 p.m. Sunday. Tickets cost $24-$40, call (773) 871-3000.