April, 2005 - Nr. 4
KW & Beyond
by Irena Syrokomla
Theatre & Company
in Kitchener – Walk in the
Woods.
Again Theatre & Company presented another unusual play: very sparse in stage décor and cast (only two actors); yet focused and thought provoking. Once more the audience was silent, absorbing words and nuances of the acting, and becoming more and more involved as the play progressed.
The play deals with actual events: two diplomats, one Russian and one American, meet in Switzerland in the early eighties and continue to negotiate for months on the subject of international disarmament. Tired and frustrated, they eventually take a walk in the nearby woods.
The Russian, older and experienced in the games being played
by great powers, is played by C. David Johnson, who is a seasoned actor
coming from the Stratford Festival Stage. The Russian diplomat is very
intelligent, with a sophisticated sense of humour and mature foresight,
prior
![C. David Johnso and Richard Quesnel in "A Walk in the Woods" [photo: Tom Vogel, courtesy of Theatre & Company]](504c-IS_6.jpg)
exposure
to international politics, and an understanding of the broad picture of
ongoing events.
The American is played by Richard Quesnel, a considerably younger man at the beginning of his international career, eager to accomplish the set goals and getting on with it. As time passes, he relaxes and begins to see the other’s viewpoint, gradually becoming disenchanted and frustrated, just like his Russian partner. It takes time for him to lose his innocence of sorts, to recognise the limits of moral integrity, to discard his youthful eagerness.
It is a pleasure to see for once a Russian not portrayed as a stereotypical uncouth evil person vis-à-vis the good-hearted American concerned with the salvation of humanity. In this play the characters are refreshingly different and definitely not in cookie-cutter formation. The play is directed by Linda Bush, known to us from her acting in Theatre & Company in past seasons. It is good to see individuals expand their talents in different directions.
To reiterate, this is a thought provoking play, intended for a mature audience interested in politics and international affairs. On opening night, the house was full, so obviously there is a demand for similar plays and performances.
A Walk in the Woods was written by Lee Blessing and first staged in 1986 at the National Playwrights Conference. In 1988 it won a Pulitzer Award for the author.
It is running at Theatre & Company in downtown Kitchener until April 16 – Box office phone number is 519-571-0928 or web site www.theatreandcompany.org.
