Things to Do

Don’t Miss this Unique Two Person Show: Heisenberg Plays at ZACH Theatre

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Tony Maples Photography

 

Have you ever wanted to eavesdrop on the table next to you? To sit and listen and see how the conversation unfolds? Sure, who hasn’t? This interest in the tables and people around us is sometimes piqued when the people we watch appear to be on a first date, are having a tense conversation, or seem to have some energetic chemistry between them. Something about that energy calls to us and grabs our attention. Our own conversation might dim in comparison as we gaze at the couple next to us. We might be horrified, or fascinated, or intrigued, and we might wish to catch every last syllable. Although we never would, we might fantasize about following them out and seeing where the night takes them. We might wonder if the first date went well, if the fight got resolved, or what happened next.

Don't Miss this Unique Two Person Show: Heisenberg Plays at ZACH Theatre

Photo: Kirk Tuck

Imagine now a play that lets you sit and listen with no qualms to a conversation just like this. There’s no need to pretend you aren’t listening. No need to turn away at the most intense moments of the dialogue. And you can follow them out the door from that first conversation and into the next.

Heisenberg, a two-person play that has landed at the ZACH Theatre, allows us this access and interest. The energy that exists between these two very different characters draws us in and invites us to stay and see how things pan out. The process is captivating. With only two players, each has to hold a lot of ground. Alex, a quiet Irish butcher in his 70s, is no match for Georgie, a bold, quick-talking, aggressive woman in her 40s. He seems at first shocked, perhaps turned off by her demeanor, but slowly through the play becomes putty in her eccentric hands. Something about her lights a fire in him he thought had long gone cold.

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Don't Miss this Unique Two Person Show: Heisenberg Plays at ZACH Theatre

Photo: Kirk Tuck

The strength of the performers and the high octane dialogue is highlighted by the stark lack of stage props. Two chairs in one scene, a table in another, and a table and pillows as a make-shift bed are all the actors need. The small theater allows for a virtual front-row seat for everyone present. During opening night, the crowd erupted in a standing ovation at the end, and it was well-deserved.

Heisenberg will be showing at the ZACH Theatre for a limited time and tickets are on sale now. Make sure to check out tickets soon-the show only plays until July 22nd. More information can be found here: zachtheatre.org.