-
- After months of the daily grind
of discussing and wrangling for an arms reduction treaty in the formalized
setting of a conference room, populated by press, staffers and other
members of the Soviet and American delegations, Honeyman and Botvinnik
meet in a nearby wooded area to talk. Not to talk about the negotiations –
just talk. They walk for awhile, find a comfortable secluded bench and
begin a conversation that will have a deep impact on their lives and
eventually the talks themselves.
Botvinnik, the more experienced
of the two is surprisingly charming and lighthearted, belying his reputation
of being a tough negotiator who has a thousand different ways of saying
“no”. He insists on using first names, talks about flowers and colors and
seems to want a genuine friendship with John. Larry Eisenberg’s portrait
is a classic tour de force, capturing the very essence of a man who has a
mission but has learned that life has other more important things to
offer. Fox Carney’s exceptional portrayal of John Honeyman is an exact
opposite of Botvinnik. He never laughs or smiles, insists on staying on
topic and seems exasperated with Botvinnik's insistence on discussing
trivialities. His laser focus on the outcome concerns him more than his
counterpart, who takes a more pragmatic approach.
Use any opposing words
you want to describe the two characters - black and white; ying and yang;
drama and comedy – and you’ll come fairly close to understanding the
exceptional depictions that Carney and Eisenberg bring to the boards.
As they verbally spar, sometimes walking circles around each other, much
like cats waiting for the right moment to pounce, their personal barriers
slowly crumble. Botvinnik knows, and Honeyman discovers, that the
most important element in their quest for an agreement will be trust - and
that builds slowly from day to day. Add Lee Blessing’s darkly
tinged humor and his rapier like exposing of the governmental machinations
of the treaty and you get an evening of compelling and riveting theatre
not seen often enough even in a town that thrives on exploring uncommon
themes.
Richard Alan Woody directs, or
rather allows the actors to evolve in a set where the most elaborate prop
is a wooden bench. The minimalist direction gives the actors freedom to
explore the characters’ moods, their gestures, voice inflections and body
language, all of which, over a span of time and several meetings in the
woods, result in an uncharacteristic bond between two men who come from
different cultures sworn to destroy each other, either physically or
ideologically but somehow find it possible to become close friends.
If the possibility seems
questionable, the answer comes from Botvinnik who tells Honeyman in a
discussion “. . . you and I – we are exactly alike . . .“. One
might hope that this similarity would be enough to prevent dissention, to
avoid wars and stop the killing, but unfortunately history is replete with
precedents against that. If blood brothers like Cain and Abel resorted to
murder to settle adversities, why should mere friends be any different?
This is a definite “must go see”
work that succeeds on all levels. First, you’ll marvel at Lee Blessing’s
lucid exposition of “government think” and how self serving it can be.
Then you’ll see Eisenberg and Carney give a veritable clinic on acting and
character development that only years of experience and commitment can
bring about. You quickly notice that the issues feared and discussed in
1983 are still being discussed today on a grander scale, and of course,
you'll see the dedication so prevalent in all the Group Rep's productions
in its continuing quest for excellence in art.
All in all, the whole thing can
be summed up in the words of someone overheard on the way out, who said to
a friend.
“That was just lovely”
Indeed it was.
Recommended!
Lonny Chapman Theatre - 10900 Burbank Blvd. North Hollywood 91601
Tickets Half-Price Labor Day Weekend 9/3, 9/4, &
9/5
General Admission: $22 - Seniors & Students: $17 - Groups: $15
For ticket reservations:
www.thegrouprep.com or 818.700-4878
Comments? Write to us at:
Letters@ReviewPlays.Com
Photo: Sherry Netherland
