Class Notes: Thomas Gordon (The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance)

Summary

BroadwayRadio Podcast Summary

Episode: Class Notes: Thomas Gordon (The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance)
Release Date: July 11, 2025
Host: Lauren Clash Schneider
Guest: Thomas R. Gordon, Director of The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance at the Jean Frankel Theatre

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Introduction to the Play

The episode opens with Lauren Clash Schneider introducing Thomas R. Gordon, the director of the stage adaptation of The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance. This play delves into classic Western themes of good versus evil, the tension between law and order versus intimidation and violence, and the individual struggle against a formidable antagonist.

Lauren Clash Schneider [00:04]:
"Hi, I'm Lauren Clash Schneider with Clash Notes for Broadway Radio. I'm here with Thomas R. Gordon, the director of The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, playing at the Jean Frankel Theatre. Good afternoon."

Thomas R. Gordon [00:18]:
"Good afternoon, Lauren, and thank you for having me."

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Character Analysis: Liberty Valance

Lauren initiates a discussion about the central antagonist, Liberty Valance, seeking to understand his character.

Lauren Clash Schneider [00:21]:
"This play is a classic tale of good versus evil, of law and order versus intimidation and violence, of one man versus Liberty Valance. So who is Liberty Valance?"

Thomas R. Gordon [00:35]:
"Liberty Valance is essentially a Southern gentleman, but also a criminal and a thug. And that is my opinion. But he is essentially an outlaw who is very unhappy about the idea of education, as well as law and order and government and bureaucracy coming out into the Western territories in America in the 1890s."

Gordon portrays Valance as a complex antagonist—a blend of civility and brutality—who resists the encroachment of structured society and governance into the Wild West.

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Character Development: Ransom Foster

The conversation shifts to Ransom Foster, a pivotal character whose journey embodies transformation and resilience.

Lauren Clash Schneider [01:08]:
"A character named Ransom Foster is described as a scholar from New York City who arrived in the town of Two Trees bloody and beaten. In the course of the play, how does he change? And what changes for him?"

Thomas R. Gordon [01:24]:
"After he has been brought into town and he is healed up a little bit, he ends up starting a school in the town for people who can't read. Two of his students are some of the people who helped him when he was first brought into town: Hallie Jackson and Jim Moston. Jim, an African American man, becomes Foster's best friend in town, showcasing his exceptional talent for reading. Ransom Foster also develops a romantic relationship with Hallie Jackson, which culminates during the second act when Foster faces direct threats from Liberty Valance."

Foster's evolution from a wounded scholar to an educator and community pillar highlights themes of redemption, education, and the fight against oppression.

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Adaptation and Inspiration

The discussion then explores the origins of the play and its adaptation from literature to stage.

Lauren Clash Schneider [02:23]:
"The play is written by Jethro Compton, based on a short story by Dorothy M. Johnson, and was the basis for the 1962 film starring James Stewart and John Wayne. How do you know of Jethro's play, and why do you feel it's the time to present it?"

Thomas R. Gordon [02:48]:
"I was given the script by my friend Samuel Shurtliff, who insisted I produce it and expressed his desire to play the character of Bert. During our first rehearsal, Jethro Compton shared that many directors and producers have approached him similarly, often with actors wanting to take on roles. Gordon believes the play is timely because it mirrors contemporary issues in America, such as the balance between law and order versus vigilante justice, racism, bigotry, and the perceived dangers of educating the populace."

Gordon emphasizes the enduring relevance of the play's themes, making it a poignant piece for modern audiences.

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Influence of the 1962 Film

Lauren inquires about the impact of the classic film adaptation on the stage production.

Lauren Clash Schneider [04:07]:
"Have you seen the film?"

Thomas R. Gordon [04:09]:
"Oh, yes, multiple times."

Lauren Clash Schneider [04:11]:
"Did it inspire you or influence how you directed the piece?"

Thomas R. Gordon [04:16]:
"Yes and no. I watched the film as a child, but when directing the play, I purposefully avoided re-watching it to maintain my own artistic vision. I didn't want the actors to mimic Jimmy Stewart or John Wayne. Instead, we aimed to find our own voice. Additionally, Jethro Compton's script adheres more closely to Dorothy M. Johnson's original short story, whereas the film took creative liberties, particularly influenced by John Wayne's persona. While I love the film as a classic Western, our production distinguishes itself by staying true to the short story."

Gordon intentionally differentiates the stage production from the film to preserve the original narrative's integrity and foster a unique theatrical experience.

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Casting Process

The conversation moves to the logistics and philosophy behind the casting of the play.

Lauren Clash Schneider [05:32]:
"It's also a big cast with nine actors. Tell us about your casting process, well, besides Bert."

Thomas R. Gordon [05:42]:
"This production is a revival of the one I directed in 2022. I held open auditions for each role, including Bert, although I wanted my friend Sam to audition for Bert specifically. Many Equity actors from the previous production were offered roles again, and most accepted. However, we had to recast three roles due to some actors relocating. Maintaining an open audition process ensured that the production brought in fresh talent while also honoring the commitment of returning actors."

Gordon underscores the importance of both leveraging established relationships and welcoming new talent to enrich the production.

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Directing Philosophy

A significant portion of the interview delves into Gordon's approach to directing and fostering a collaborative environment.

Lauren Clash Schneider [06:52]:
"What do you like best about directing?"

Thomas R. Gordon [06:54]:
"Directing has been my passion since I was nearly 20. My background spans acting, lighting, sound, and other technical roles, giving me a comprehensive understanding of the production process. This experience allows me to communicate effectively with all team members. I thrive on creating a collaborative environment where actors feel free to explore and bring their natural instincts to their performances. My goal is to set up a 'playground' within the framework of the script, enabling actors to express themselves authentically rather than strictly adhering to my directives."

Gordon's holistic understanding of theatre production and his emphasis on actor autonomy highlight his commitment to a dynamic and inclusive creative process.

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Conclusion

The interview concludes with Lauren expressing her appreciation for the discussion.

Lauren Clash Schneider [08:58]:
"Well, this is great, and I thank you."

Thomas R. Gordon [09:02]:
"Thank you as well. It's been very wonderful speaking with you, and I really appreciate the opportunity."

Lauren Clash Schneider [09:07]:
"I'm Lauren Clash Schneider with Thomas R. Gordon, the director of The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance playing at the Jean Frankel Theatre. Thank you."

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Episode Synopsis

In this insightful episode of BroadwayRadio, host Lauren Clash Schneider engages with Thomas R. Gordon, the director of the stage adaptation The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance. They explore the depths of the play's characters, particularly the antagonist Liberty Valance and protagonist Ransom Foster, delving into themes of morality, education, and societal structure. Gordon discusses his motivations for adapting Dorothy M. Johnson's short story, distinguishing his production from the iconic 1962 film. He elaborates on his inclusive casting process and shares his directing philosophy centered on collaboration and authenticity. The episode offers a comprehensive look into the creative decisions and thematic relevance that make this production a noteworthy addition to contemporary theatre.

Transcript

[Lauren Clash Schneider]

Hi, I'm Lauren Clash Schneider with Clash Notes for Broadway Radio. I'm here with Thomas R. Gordon, the director of the man who Shot Liberty Valance, playing at the Jean Frankel Theatre. Good afternoon.

[Thomas R. Gordon]

Good afternoon, Lauren, and thank you for having me.

[Lauren Clash Schneider]

Thanks for being here. Well, this play is a classic tale of good versus evil, of law and order versus intimidation and violence, of one man versus Liberty Valance. So who is Liberty Valance?

[Thomas R. Gordon]

Liberty Valance is essentially a Southern gentleman, but also criminal and a thug. And that is my opinion. But he is essentially an outlaw who is very unhappy about the idea of education, as well as law and order and government and bureaucracy coming out into the Western territories in America in the 1890s.

[Lauren Clash Schneider]

And a character named Ransom Foster is described as a scholar from New York City who arrived in the town of Two Trees bloody and beaten. And in the course of the play, how does he change? And what changes for him?

[Thomas R. Gordon]

Well, after he has been brought into town and he is healed up a little bit, he ends up starting a school in the town for people who can't read. And two of his students are some of the people who helped him when he was first brought into town. One is a woman named Hallie Jackson, and the other is a man named Jim Moston. Jim Moston is an African American man, but Jim also is probably Foster's best friend in town. And so they get along very, very well. And it turns out Jim has a real talent for reading. And Ransom Foster also develops a romantic relationship with Hallie Jackson. And that comes to a head during the second act when Foster is being directly threatened by Liberty Valance.

[Lauren Clash Schneider]

Well, and I think it's so interesting. The play is written by Jethro Compton. The man who Shot Liberty. Balance is based on a short story written by Dorothy M. Johnson. And the original story was the basis for the 1962 film, which starred James Stewart and John Wayne. How do you know of Jethro's play? And why are you feeling it's the time to present it?

[Thomas R. Gordon]

I was actually given this script by a friend of mine named Samuel Shurtliff. And he essentially said, you need to produce this play. It is a really, really great play. And then he followed up with saying, I would really like to play the character of Bert. And what is interesting is I had an opportunity to speak with Jethro Compton at our very first rehearsal. And Jethro said that he has heard that story so many times from different directors and producers who have done this show where a friend who is an actor hands them the Script and they say, I think you should do this show. And I want to be Burt. The other thing that I would say is the reason I want to do this show right now is because even though the show is set in the 1890s, I feel like it really has a lot to say about America today in regard to law and order versus vigilante justice, as well as racism and bigotry, as well as the idea of the dangers of educating your population.

[Lauren Clash Schneider]

Have you seen the film?

[Thomas R. Gordon]

Oh, yes, multiple times.

[Lauren Clash Schneider]

And did it inspire you or influence how you directed the piece?

[Thomas R. Gordon]

Yes and no. The first time I saw the film was when I was a young boy. My grandfather really loved John Wayne movies. So I remember seeing the movie when I was probably like eight or nine, something like that. But when I decided to direct the show, I very purposefully stayed away from watching the actual film just because I didn't want it to influence my, my own decision making as a director and as an artist. And I didn't, you know, I definitely didn't want my actors to be doing an impersonation of Jimmy Stewart and John Wayne. I wanted us to find our own voice. I would also say that the script that we have by Jethro Compton adheres a lot more closely to the original short story, whereas the 1962 film takes certain different liberties with some of the characters. And you can definitely hear some of John Wayne's opinion in that film. But I do love that film. It's a classic western film. But our show, our show is different from the film and it's closer to the actual short story written by Dorothy M. Johnson.

[Lauren Clash Schneider]

Uh huh. It's also a big cast with nine actors. Tell us about your casting process. Well, beside Bert.

[Thomas R. Gordon]

Well, so this is actually a revival of the same production I did back in 2022. And back in 2022, I essentially had open auditions for each role, including for Burt. But I knew that I wanted to see my friend Sam read for Burt. And I had ended up casting a couple of other friends of mine. But I always feel very strongly about having an open auditioning process for this revival. Because I had so many Equity actors who were in the previous production, I had to essentially offer those Equity actors the opportunity to return. And almost all of them did. We ended up having to recast for three different roles just because two people, I believe, no longer live here in New York City. And then another gentleman had already taken a job out in Minnesota and he just decided to stick with that job. Sure.

[Lauren Clash Schneider]

And what do you like best about.

[Thomas R. Gordon]

Directing you know, that's. That's an interesting question. I've been directing professionally since I was almost 20 years old, and I sort of fell into it because I had taken acting classes and I acted professionally on stage, and then I also had worked professionally doing lighting and sound and other tech positions. And I felt like because I had such a experience in so many different fields, it gave me a better language to be able to speak to everybody who is a part of the production team. I know how to talk to the actors. I know how to talk to the lighting people and the sound people, the set people. And what would be considered something that is, you know, a little bit crazy or something that would be a big ask rather than something that, you know, I know if I were, like, doing a lighting design or something, it would. What would bother me and what I would be able to pull off in a timely manner. The other thing that I like is that I really love having a collaborative environment for everyone that I'm working with. And as the director, that is always my goal, is that I want the other actors to feel like that they can come in and play. My job is to essentially set up a playground for the actors, and they can come in and do whatever they like, as long as it's something within the text. The other thing that I would sometimes say is that, like, I want my actors to really do what they feel comes naturally to them. If I wanted my actors to do everything that I say at every moment, I would actually be making video games because you can just hit a button and your character actually want. And I feel like what I do is almost the opposite of that.

[Lauren Clash Schneider]

Well, this is great, and I thank you.

[Thomas R. Gordon]

Thank you as well. It's been very wonderful speaking with you, and I really appreciate the opportunity.

[Lauren Clash Schneider]

I'm Lauren Klass Schneider with Thomas R. Gordon, the director of the man who Shot Liberty Valence playing at the Jean Frankel Theatre. Thank you.

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