Flawless 'Frost/Nixon' examines a flawed man

They say confession is good for the soul.

Judging from the number of defendant statements police routinely introduce into evidence during criminal trials, it's true.

Curious about what compels people to confess against their own interests, I asked a former prosecutor, now a criminal court judge, to explain the phenomenon.

His answer? Guilt. It overwhelms. So much so that although suspects realize the confession can be used against them in court, the need to clear their conscience overrides self-interest, he said.

So it was with Richard Nixon, whose televised interviews with David Frost resulted in the closest thing to an apology the former president ever proffered for his involvement in the Watergate break-in and its subsequent cover-up.

That mea culpa moment comes as the climax in Peter Morgan's superb "Frost/Nixon." That TimeLine Theater's production manages to rivet an audience undoubtedly familiar with the exchange that first aired 33 years ago testifies not just to the power of the play, but to the considerable skills of director Louis Contey.

Anchored by stellar performances from Andrew Carter and Terry Hamilton, Contey's superb Chicago area premiere for TimeLine marks the latest in a series of impressive productions from this company, and one I expect will stick around for a while.

Smart and swift, the play recounts the 1977 interviews between British chat show host David Frost (Carter, artfully pairing ambition and insecurity) and Richard Nixon (Hamilton, as captivating and incisive as ever). The televised interviews took place three years after Nixon resigned the office rather than face impeachment. Recreating the on-camera exchanges (taken verbatim from the broadcast), Morgan also offers behind-the-scenes glimpses of Frost and his team preparing to confront the disgraced former president, whom we also observe gearing up for the interviews he hopes will "set the record straight."

Peppered with boxing references (the white handkerchief Nixon uses to mop his lip standing in for the towel he declines to throw in), "Frost/Nixon" unfolds as a kind of refined prizefight, where victory means professional survival and defeat means a one-way ticket to palookaville.

Frost is described as an "unlikely white knight." The apolitical party-boy - whom both camps perceive as a lightweight - hopes the interviews with the notoriously wily Nixon will earn him a network show. Nixon - the shrewd, socially awkward, intellectual heavyweight - imagines the broadcasts will return him to public life and participation in the political dialogue.

Like Rod Blagojevich, the latest pol to take his case to the public, both Nixon and Frost believe TV offers a chance at rehabilitation. But as Nixon observes during a fictionalized late-night phone call to Frost, only one of them will obtain it.

In Frost's corner is adviser and fierce Nixon critic Jim Reston (Matthew Brumlow), veteran journalist Bob Zelnick (Don Bender), skeptical producer John Birt (Dennis Grimes) and new girlfriend Caroline (Beth Lacke). The ex-president's camp includes wily literary agent Swifty Lazar (Ian Maxwell), who negotiates Nixon a $600,000 payday, and the fiercely loyal chief of staff Jack Brennan (David Parkes, spot on as Nixon's bulldog), who serves as one of the play's two righteously indignant narrators, the other being Reston.

The action unfolds on Keith Pitts' simple set, shaped like the Oval Office. Flanking the set are banks of television monitors pairing a test pattern (symbol of the world's most influential medium) with the presidential seal (symbol of the world's most powerful elected office). Integral are videographer Mike Tutaj's projections, which suggest various locales but are best used to reveal the power of the close-up: Frost's uncomfortable facial expression as "60 Minute's" Mike Wallace accuses him of checkbook journalism, and the gripping penultimate image of a post-confession Nixon - defeat and self awareness etched into his ravaged face.

Focused direction and first-rate acting make for a flawless production. But at the end of the day, it is Hamilton's penetrating, powerhouse performance - complete with growling baritone and forced smile underscored by Tutaj's unforgiving close-up - that lingers as a stark reminder of the toll pride and ambition take.

"Frost/Nixon"Rating: #9733; #9733; #9733; #9733;Location: TimeLine Theatre Company, 615 W. Wellington Ave., Chicago, (773) 281-8463, ext. 24 or timelinetheatre.com.Showtimes: 7:30 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday; 8 p.m. Friday; 4 and 8 p.m. Saturday; 2 p.m. Sunday through Oct. 10Running time: About 100 minutes, no intermissionTickets: $28, $38Parking: Limited metered street parking; $8 with validation at Standard Parking garages at 2846 N. Broadway, and Century Mall, 2846 N. Clark St.Rating: For teens and olderFalse12001800Richard Nixon's Chief of Staff Jack Brennan (David Parkes) vigorously defends the former president (Terry Hamilton, upstage) even in disgrace. False <div class="infoBox"><h1>More Coverage</h1><div class="infoBoxContent"><div class="infoArea"><h2>Video</h2><ul class="video"><!-- Start of Brightcove Player --><div style="display:none"></div><!--By use of this code snippet, I agree to the Brightcove Publisher T and Cfound at https://accounts.brightcove.com/en/terms-and-conditions/.--><script type="text/javascript" src="http://admin.brightcove.com/js/BrightcoveExperiences.js"></script><object id="myExperience596251502001" class="BrightcoveExperience"><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><param name="width" value="300" /><param name="height" value="255" /><param name="playerID" value="18011347001" /><param name="playerKey" value="AQ%2E%2E,AAAAAGLvCOU%2E,K_spvtxyxDSJjRvTs_UJq6PRPq4OsSL6" /><param name="isVid" value="true" /><param name="dynamicStreaming" value="true" /><param name="@videoPlayer" value="596251502001" /></object><!--This script tag will cause the Brightcove Players defined above it to be created as soonas the line is read by the browser. If you wish to have the player instantiated only afterthe rest of the HTML is processed and the page load is complete, remove the line.--><script type="text/javascript">brightcove.createExperiences();</script><!-- End of Brightcove Player --></ul></div></div></div>