A Walk in the Woods

Reviewed by Deborah Klugman
Actors Co-op
Through March 18

According to Lee Blessing’s 1987 A Walk in the Woods, the world’s problems might be resolved if only individuals were able to ignore their myopic and belligerent governments and approach each other with humor, patience and respect.

Revived at Actors Co-op under Ken Sawyer’s direction, Blessing’s two-hander was originally inspired by a real-life event in 1982 when two diplomats — one Russian and one American — excused themselves from official arms negotiations in Geneva and went for a “walk in the woods.” They came back with an agreement, which was subsequently rejected by both the American top brass and the Soviets.

The action is set in a woodsy spot in the Swiss mountains (though you’d never know it from Ellen Lensberg’s sterile abstract set). The location is a favorite getaway for veteran Russian diplomat, Andrey Botvinnik (Phil Crowley), a genial cynic with no small amount of wit, meeting for the first time with his novice American counterpart, Joan Honeyman (Nan McNamara, smoothly undertaking a role written for a male actor).

The earnest Honeyman arrives prepared to duke it out, but her Russian counterpart refuses to get serious. He makes jokes, relays anecdotes with ironic conclusions, and insists that Honeyman get “frivolous” and join him in an apparently irrelevant repartee. The two negotiators meet several times and ultimately hammer out what both agree is a fine proposal — only to have it rejected by the powers-that-be. Initially frustrated by Botvinnik’s antics, Honeyman gradually comes to like the guy, as understanding dawns about why he is conducting himself in an ostensibly flippant way, and exactly how impossible is the task that’s been set before the two of them.

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. We knew (or thought we did) the identity of the enemy: an opposing superpower whose aggression had to be contained — unlike today, when slithery calumniators have infiltrated our republic, with the endorsement of our highest elected official.

McNamara, cool, crisp and superbly poised, is excellent as Honeyman, but Crowley undermines the production with a shtick-laden performance that strips the play of any meaningful weight. More than a lapse in performance, it’s a surprise fumble from Sawyer, a usually assured directorial hand.

The Crossley Theatre at Actors Co-op, 1760 N. Gower St., Hollywood; Fri.-Sat., 8 p.m.; Sun., 2:30 p.m., Sat., 2:30 p.m. on Feb. 17 and 24; through March 18. Running time: 2 hours with an intermission.