Directed by: Ken Michels

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Cast

ANDREY BOTVINNIK: John Ellis

JOHN HONEYMAN: Joel Underwood

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This show is recommended for all audiences. The running time is approximately 1 hour 45 minutes with one 15-minute intermission. 

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"an engrossing attempt to humanize a situation of awesome portentousness." -- The New York Times
"a work of passion and power with the ring of political truth" -- TIME Magazine

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Synopsis: In the midst of the Cold War, two arms control negotiators -- Soviet Andrey Botvinnik and American John Honeyman -- stroll in the woods above Geneva, Switzerland in the late summer, away from the glare of the negotiating table. They eventually develop a relationship, although their personalities could hardly be more different. This humorous yet tense tale was inspired by the real-life "walk in the woods" between negotiators Paul Nitze and Yuli Kvitsinsky who left the official Geneva sessions to achieve a breakthrough which was soon rejected by their governments. However, they were credited with laying the groundwork for the subsequent Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty in 1987, which eliminated all of the two nations' land-based, mid-range nuclear missiles. President Trump withdrew the U.S. from the INF Treaty on February 1, 2019, followed a day later by Russia.

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Awards

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Pulitzer Prize (1987)

- Drama: Finalist

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Tony Award (1988):

- Best Play: Nominee

- Best Actor in a Play: Nominee (Robert Prosky)

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Olivier Award (1988)

- Actor of the Year in a New Play: Nominee (Alec Guinness)

 

BBC Award (1988)

- Play of the Year: Nominee