How does the best man win? Surrounding the timely issue of a presidential election, Gore Vidal’s The Best Man was presented by the Laredo Theater Guild (LTG) as a preview of the fall 2009 season at the Sam Johnson Experimental Theatre, also known as the Black Box Theatre, on Thursday, August 21. It was the first full-length theatre production to be held in the facility. Additional performances were held on August 22, 23, and 24. The cast featured many performers who are local fixtures in the theatre community, including American Academy of Dramatic Arts graduate Joe Arciniega, Dean of Theatre at the Vidal M. Treviño School of Communications & Fine Arts Vernon Carroll, and theatre veteran Suzi Mayo. In the play, two potential candidates come up with strategies to win the presidential nomination for their party. Loyalty is at risk, and dirty politics is in play.Former Secretary of State William Russell, played by Arciniega, depends on the endorsement of Ex-President Arthur Hockstader, played by Carroll. His endorsement could guarantee a win on the ballot for either candidate. Opposing candidate Senator Joseph Cantwell is played by Los Angeles actor Rafael Orduña. Cantwell is a young, belligerent military veteran who will do anything in his power to win, even if it means to ruin one’s reputation.Cantwell comes across a secret kept from the public by Russell. Cantwell feels he can win the party nomination by revealing the secret to the delegates at the convention. After he blackmails Russell to drop out of the race, Russell stumbles across a secret in Cantwell’s past that could jeopardize his reputation.Russell needs to make an ethical decision without tearing the other opponent apart and still bring hope to the country.”The play is very blatant about corruption in politics. The message of the play is that morality still exists and is pursued, which is a comfort to us today as we face issues like the war in Iraq and the economy,” said Andrew James Villarreal, a Psychology graduate who played the role of Sheldon Marcus. Marcus formerly served in the military with Cantwell and reveals the information detrimental to his campaign.The play takes place in Philadelphia in 1960; therefore, it is intended for a more mature crowd.”It is LTG’s new concept: theater for adults by adults,” Villarreal said.The play, however, did attract a different range of age groups.”I attended the play, and I found it to be humorous but on point with many of the political issues that existed then and also today,” said Janece Quiroz, an Accounting major.Although the play lasted about three and a half hours, Villarreal noticed the audience was interested until the very end.”It was spectacular how the audience soaked in every minute of the play” said Villarreal, adding, “They were on the edge of their seats.” Villareal will be attending the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in Hollywood, CA. He said he felt honored be a part of the first production with such a talented cast for his final performance The opening show had a great turnout with all proceeds benefiting the Lacey Cigarroa Keck Endowed Scholarship.Hortense Offerle, Sam Johnson, and Joe Arciniega founded the Laredo Theater Guild in 2008.According to Arciniega, the “support from Dr. Ray Keck, TAMIU President,” has allowed the Laredo Theater Guild to join the campus in pursuit of formally starting a LTG-TAMIU theater season in the Fall of 2009. The Best Man will appear in the theater’s first season along with other projects such as Man of La Mancha, a musical.