[NEohioPAL]Rave Review in Plain Dealer for COPENHAGEN at Actors' Summit

Wed Jan 14 06:04:14 PST 2004

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Actors meet challenges of complex 'Copenhagen' 
01/14/04
Linda Eisenstein 
Special to The Plain Dealer
On a bare stage, two men and a woman warily circle each other and 
occasionally collide like atomic particles. Michael Frayn's remarkable drama "Copenhagen" 
is a bracing exploration of history, physics, ethics, politics, friendship 
and the elusive meaning of memory. 
It's a formidable play: complex, deep, with a torrent of difficult material 
to be mastered. So it's a pleasure to report that Actors' Summit is entirely up 
to the challenge. The theater's excellent production, with fine direction and 
memorable performances, is of such a caliber that even in the second week of 
January, it's a snap to predict that it will be one of the year's best. 
"Copenhagen" explores an enigmatic meeting that took place between two 
theoretical physicists on opposite sides of World War II. In 1941, Werner Heisenberg 
returns to the Danish home of his former teacher and mentor, Niels Bohr. It's 
a highly charged visit. Denmark has been occupied by the Nazis, Bohr is 
half-Jewish, Heisenberg is working for the Germans, and both men are being watched. 
"I carry around my surveillance like an infectious disease," Heisenberg says. 
After some hot sparring that leads to a nostalgic thaw, their meeting 
suddenly turns icy cold, and ends abruptly. For Heisenberg is now the head of 
Germany's atomic project, and has asked his mentor two thorny questions: What are the 
moral implications of a scientist working on weapons of mass destruction? And 
do you love your country less when it is wrong? 
Frayn adds Bohr's wife, Margrethe, to the mix. She's part narrator/observer, 
part sounding board - the scientists must express themselves so as to be 
understandable to her (and us). He also sets his play in a chilly afterlife, where 
the trio can replay the meeting, trying to parse all its meanings. 
As Heisenberg, Wayne Turney gives a prodigious performance. Hands nervously 
wringing behind his back, teasing names from his memory, mind racing, Turney 
paints a portrait of a brilliant, conflicted man with the desperate need to be 
understood. 
Lucy Bredeson-Smith is a superb Margrethe. Angular and wary, sharp-eyed and 
sharp-tongued, she conveys a stillness that adds emotional weight and 
counterbalance to the colliding orbits of the more openly volatile men. 
Neil Thackaberry gives Bohr a gruff heartiness. He makes you see both the 
formidable mind and the underlying generosity. His performance is rock-solid, but 
it's not as deeply nuanced. That may be because he truly excels in his second 
role: as "Copenhagen's" director. 
It's a challenging evening, but ultimately thrilling. And the questions it 
raises reverberate for days afterwards. If you cherish theater that makes you 
think as well as feel, don't miss it. 
Eisenstein is a playwright in Cleveland. 
To reach Linda Eisenstein: 
entertainment at plaind.com 

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<P><B><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 13.5pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Actors meet chal=
lenges of complex '</SPAN></B><st1:City><st1:place><B><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SI=
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N style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"> <o:p></o:p></SPAN></B></P>
<P><st1:date Month=3D"1" Day=3D"14" Year=3D"2004"><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE:=20=
10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">01/14/04</SPAN></st1:date><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE=
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<P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><B><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SI=
ZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Linda Eisenstein</SPAN></B><SPAN style=3D"FONT=
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</SPAN></P>
<P><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">On a bare stage, two=20=
men and a woman warily circle each other and occasionally collide like atomi=
c particles. Michael Frayn's remarkable drama "</SPAN><st1:City><st1:place><=
SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Copenhagen</SPAN></st1:pl=
ace></st1:City><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">" is a br=
acing exploration of history, physics, ethics, politics, friendship and the=20=
elusive meaning of memory. <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">It's a formidable pla=
y: complex, deep, with a torrent of difficult material to be mastered. So it=
's a pleasure to report that Actors' </SPAN><st1:City><st1:place><SPAN style=
=3D"FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Summit</SPAN></st1:place></st1:City=
><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"> is entirely up to the=20=
challenge. The theater's excellent production, with fine direction and memor=
able performances, is of such a caliber that even in the second week of Janu=
ary, it's a snap to predict that it will be one of the year's best. <o:p></o=
:p></SPAN></P>
<P><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">"</SPAN><st1:City><st=
1:place><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Copenhagen</SPAN=
></st1:place></st1:City><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">=
" explores an enigmatic meeting that took place between two theoretical phys=
icists on opposite sides of World War II. In 1941, Werner Heisenberg returns=
 to the Danish home of his former teacher and mentor, Niels Bohr. It's a hig=
hly charged visit. </SPAN><st1:country-region><st1:place><SPAN style=3D"FONT=
-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Denmark</SPAN></st1:place></st1:country-reg=
ion><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"> has been occupied b=
y the Nazis, Bohr is half-Jewish, Heisenberg is working for the Germans, and=
 both men are being watched. "I carry around my surveillance like an infecti=
ous disease," Heisenberg says. <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">After some hot sparri=
ng that leads to a nostalgic thaw, their meeting suddenly turns icy cold, an=
d ends abruptly. For Heisenberg is now the head of </SPAN><st1:country-regio=
n><st1:place><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Germany</SP=
AN></st1:place></st1:country-region><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAM=
ILY: Arial">'s atomic project, and has asked his mentor two thorny questions=
: What are the moral implications of a scientist working on weapons of mass=20=
destruction? And do you love your country less when it is wrong? <o:p></o:p>=
</SPAN></P>
<P><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Frayn adds Bohr's wif=
e, Margrethe, to the mix. She's part narrator/observer, part sounding board=20=
- the scientists must express themselves so as to be understandable to her (=
and us). He also sets his play in a chilly afterlife, where the trio can rep=
lay the meeting, trying to parse all its meanings. <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">As Heisenberg, Wayne=20=
Turney gives a prodigious performance. Hands nervously wringing behind his b=
ack, teasing names from his memory, mind racing, Turney paints a portrait of=
 a brilliant, conflicted man with the desperate need to be understood. <o:p>=
</o:p></SPAN></P>
<P><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Lucy Bredeson-Smith i=
s a superb Margrethe. Angular and wary, sharp-eyed and sharp-tongued, she co=
nveys a stillness that adds emotional weight and counterbalance to the colli=
ding orbits of the more openly volatile men. <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Neil Thackaberry give=
s Bohr a gruff heartiness. He makes you see both the formidable mind and the=
 underlying generosity. His performance is rock-solid, but it's not as deepl=
y nuanced. That may be because he truly excels in his second role: as "</SPA=
N><st1:City><st1:place><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">C=
openhagen</SPAN></st1:place></st1:City><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-=
FAMILY: Arial">'s" director. <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">It's a challenging ev=
ening, but ultimately thrilling. And the questions it raises reverberate for=
 days afterwards. If you cherish theater that makes you think as well as fee=
l, don't miss it. <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Eisenstein is a playw=
right in </SPAN><st1:City><st1:place><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FA=
MILY: Arial">Cleveland</SPAN></st1:place></st1:City><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE=
: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">. <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">To reach Linda Eisens=
tein: <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P><FONT face=3D"Times New Roman" size=3D3>entertainment at plaind.com </FONT><=
/P></BODY></HTML>

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