A Walk in the Woods at UCLA James Bridges Theater

A Walk in the Woods L.A. Theatre Works records Lee Blessings brilliant and witty play for radio broadcast and online streaming. Nearing the end of the Cold War, a pair of arms negotiators a clever, cynical Russian (Alfred Molina) and an idealistic young American (Steven Weber) meet in the woods outside Geneva to explore the obstacles their countries face on the path to peace. There, they debate politics, life and the future of the free world. Can personal bonds bridge political chasms? Winner of the prestigious American Theatre Critics/Steinberg New Play Award, and nominated for both the Pulitzer Prize and a Tony Award, Blessings dramatic comedy was inspired by historic conversations between negotiators Paul H. Nitze and Yuli A. Kvitsinsky, who left the official 1982 Geneva sessions for an unofficial walk in the woods. A talkback with playwright Lee Blessing and professor of political science Richard D. Anderson, Jr., a specialist on Soviet politics and foreign policy, will follow the Saturday matinee performance. Each of the four performances at UCLAs state-of-the-art James Bridges Theater will be recorded live in front of an audience for future radio broadcast, distribution on CD, digital download and online streaming. L.A. Theatre Works' syndicated radio theater series broadcasts weekly on public radio stations across the U.S. (locally, in Southern California, on KPFK 90.7 FM); can be heard daily in China and around the world on the Radio Beijing Network; can be downloaded as a podcast via iTunes and NPR One; and can be streamed on demand at www.latw.org. Jan. 25 Jan. 27; L.A. Theatre Works @ the James Bridges Theater, UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television, 235 Charles E. Young Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90095; $15-$65; (310) 827-0889; www.latw.org