There’s no question that what you see in Beau Willimon’s Farragut North, on now at the Geffen Playhouse, is a piece of a whole, a particular look at larger issues.  The set, before the action begins, is lit to look as though it’s entirely painted with blue and white blocks which introduces the feel of a painting in an exhibit or an invitation to look closer. Once the actors grace the stage and the dialogue begins, you’re faced with a fast-paced, media heavy production that feels like Anderson Cooper’s insiders guide to political campaigning.  You’re faced with politics, sex, and the politics of sex. 

Starring Star Trek’s Chris Pine (we’ll get to him later), Sex and the City’s Chris Noth, Juno’s Olivia Thrilby, and a host of other accomplished actors, Willimon’s words are well taken care of.  Noth, as Pine’s boss, plays a crude, fast, and clever campaign manager who has obviously been through the ringer in this business.  Pine plays his younger, more charismatic counterpart and, in all honesty, steals the show.  I haven’t seen Star Trek yet, but I will say that considering the shift from Hollywood blockbuster to Geffen Playhouse I was dubious going in.  His performance alone is worth seeing this play.  Not to lessen the achievements of his fellow actors; they’re all on top of their roles and deliver their dialogue with presence, passion, and conviction.  As they should be – Noth, Thrilby, and Isiah Whitlock, Jr (whose role is the personification of a quiet storm) are all reprising their roles from the play’s original production at the Atlantic Theatre in New York. 

Based on Howard Dean’s 2004 campaign for Democratic candidacy, the play follows Stephen (Pine) as he gloats about and works diligently on his flourishing career as a campaign press secretary.  His fast-paced, charm-fueled character becomes entwined in the backroom politics of campaigning and, without giving anything away, ends up taking a few certain others down with him.  The music, lighting, and projected multimedia used during set changes seems as if it was pulled from CNNs “Situation Room.”  It’s a quick-witted look into the power struggles, hierarchies, and sexual antics inherent on the campaign trail.  Imagine if HBOs Recount had a love child with Clive Owen’s recent Duplicity and then met up with better dialogue, Chris Pine, and a live stage.

Farragut North is on now through July 26 at the Geffen Playhouse in Westwood.  For more information, please call (310) 208-5454 or visit their website.