Actors Co-op Theatre Company presents the Pulitzer Prize finalist and Tony Award nominated drama A WALK IN THE WOODS written by beloved playwright Lee Blessing, directed by Ken Sawyer, produced by Lauren Thompson. This witty two-hander concerns a relationship between two arms negotiators and what happens when they step out of the war room and into the woods. Produced on Broadway in 1988, Time Magazine called it one of the best dramas to hit the stage that year.
A WALK IN THE WOODS
Reviews
Phil Crowley is the older Soviet whose long and successful career has consisted of perfecting the art of saying no. [Nan McNamara] is the idealistic younger of the two, her skillful composure hiding a backlog of frustration. Together they offer a thoughtful and compelling look at how different, yet similar, we are as human beings. Scenic designer Ellen Lenbergs creates a glistening abstract winter forest, complete with delicate icicle trees, that metaphorically illustrates the play's themes and facilitates Sawyer's calculated direction. It's a smart use of space in an intimate theater.
No longer just a nostalgic look back at a time when terms like “early warning” seemed things of the past, A Walk In The Woods is yet another Actors Co-op winner, and more relevant than ever.
Crowley and McNamara are superb. A seasoned voiceover actor, Crowley nails a Russian accent, lending a great believability to his character. Beyond that, he is warm and funny, and completely thwarts the preconception many of us subconsciously have about Russians as being stoic or grim. His liveliness and sincerity had me laughing much more that I thought I would be—an unexpected, and greatly appreciated, surprise. McNamara brings a wonderful sense of control to her acting, with movements that are specific and intentional. Your heart breaks for her naivety and sincere yearning to make a difference.
The current production at Actors Co-Op has been skillfully directed by Ken Sawyer in the intimate confines of the Crossley Theatre. The audience comes to feel they are nearly seated on the same bench as the negotiators... A Walk in the Woods is a joy to experience.
Blessing wrote this 20th century play to reflect an American culture riven with anxiety about nuclear arms and their potential for destruction. However scary that may have been (and it was), it's a world view refreshingly straightforward compared to now.
Director Ken Sawyer has taken some liberties with the original script – and so has added layers at the already subtle and fascinating study of two people asked to figure out a way to avoid nuclear proliferation in a world still smarting from World War II and the Berlin Wall.
This performance will captivate you from start to finish...The play is masterfully staged...The dialogue is witty and though the play was first staged some 30 years ago the laughs flow naturally and the humor does not feel at all dated.
In short, it's a mood moving showpiece as effectively staged. Ken Sawyer's stage directions adds a lot of intimate interludes throughout.
Like many a work about an apocalypse, even a looming one, this play softens the horror with humor. Good thing, too. In many ways this becomes Honeyman's story of bitter disillusionment, of her holding on all the same. The interplay of these opponents gradually grows into precisely what she said it must never be--a friendship. As that happens, the issues behind and (horrifically) above those of the dangers involved emerge. We should leave the theatre depressed. Interestingly, we don't, but we hopefully avoid complacence.
Phil Crowley is the older Soviet whose long and successful career has consisted of perfecting the art of saying no. [Nan McNamara] is the idealistic younger of the two, her skillful composure hiding a backlog of frustration. Together they offer a thoughtful and compelling look at how different, yet similar, we are as human beings. Scenic designer Ellen Lenbergs creates a glistening abstract winter forest, complete with delicate icicle trees, that metaphorically illustrates the play's themes and facilitates Sawyer's calculated direction. It's a smart use of space in an intimate theater.
No longer just a nostalgic look back at a time when terms like “early warning” seemed things of the past, A Walk In The Woods is yet another Actors Co-op winner, and more relevant than ever.
Crowley and McNamara are superb. A seasoned voiceover actor, Crowley nails a Russian accent, lending a great believability to his character. Beyond that, he is warm and funny, and completely thwarts the preconception many of us subconsciously have about Russians as being stoic or grim. His liveliness and sincerity had me laughing much more that I thought I would be—an unexpected, and greatly appreciated, surprise. McNamara brings a wonderful sense of control to her acting, with movements that are specific and intentional. Your heart breaks for her naivety and sincere yearning to make a difference.
The current production at Actors Co-Op has been skillfully directed by Ken Sawyer in the intimate confines of the Crossley Theatre. The audience comes to feel they are nearly seated on the same bench as the negotiators... A Walk in the Woods is a joy to experience.
Blessing wrote this 20th century play to reflect an American culture riven with anxiety about nuclear arms and their potential for destruction. However scary that may have been (and it was), it's a world view refreshingly straightforward compared to now.
Director Ken Sawyer has taken some liberties with the original script – and so has added layers at the already subtle and fascinating study of two people asked to figure out a way to avoid nuclear proliferation in a world still smarting from World War II and the Berlin Wall.
This performance will captivate you from start to finish...The play is masterfully staged...The dialogue is witty and though the play was first staged some 30 years ago the laughs flow naturally and the humor does not feel at all dated.
In short, it's a mood moving showpiece as effectively staged. Ken Sawyer's stage directions adds a lot of intimate interludes throughout.
Like many a work about an apocalypse, even a looming one, this play softens the horror with humor. Good thing, too. In many ways this becomes Honeyman's story of bitter disillusionment, of her holding on all the same. The interplay of these opponents gradually grows into precisely what she said it must never be--a friendship. As that happens, the issues behind and (horrifically) above those of the dangers involved emerge. We should leave the theatre depressed. Interestingly, we don't, but we hopefully avoid complacence.