THEATER REVIEW: Actors Heald and Lizardo bring unlikely lovers to life in RTC's production of 'Heisenberg'

By LUCIE K. SCHEUER for the Rogue Valley Times Jul 19, 2023

There are some unusual and unlikely pairings in theater and film. Take Mrs. Lovett and Sweeney Todd or Felix Ungar and Oscar Madison in "The Odd Couple"  or just about any couple in Woody Allen’s 50-plus films. But the two unlikely paired characters who ultimately back their way into a love affair in "Heisenberg," a 90-minute two-handler now playing at Grizzly Peak Winery’s indoor venue, may be the oddest but most endearing yet.

The question then becomes, can a 75-year-old, meek, forlorn Irish butcher living in London — who through abandonment and loss made an unconscious decision to put his emotions on the back burner years ago — and a 40-year-old, single American woman who loves to run her mouth and who has enough mood swings as to appear disordered — find happiness? The answer is found in this touching, often funny, endearing play simply titled “Heisenberg” presented by the Rogue Theater Company, playing through July 30.

Playwright Simon Stevens reminds us that no matter who we are, we all have a desire for human connection. He also reminds us that not all matches are made in heaven. Sometimes a sassy and desperate female can sweep into your life, grab you by your lapels and open you up the way no one else ever could — while dancing the tango no less.

Have you ever met that lady in the supermarket? The one standing behind you? The one with whom you tried to avoid eye contact? Fifteen minutes later, you know about her and she’s managed to draw several things out of you?Well — meet Georgie Burns. She’s brash, bold and has no filter. We can’t quite figure out what she could possibly see in Alex Priest, this seemingly broken, tired old man. But we’re about to find out.

Georgie first meets Alex in a London train station. Her almost assaultive style puts him off. She says she is a waitress. She says she loves different kinds of foods — “It takes me to parts of Europe in my mouth!” she exclaims. Then she admits she is not a waitress, and more comes out. She’s afraid of being rejected. Her son has left her. He has moved to the States and is living somewhere in New Jersey. He doesn’t want to see her again. She is just too much for him handle. Now we have polar opposites playing beautifully off of each other.

One reason is because we have a veteran of Rogue Valley theater and one of the best actors in Southern Oregon, Anthony (Tony) Heald, playing the part of Alex. He understands the sorrow that Alex has tucked away. Sorrow that can no longer be stored in the confines of his aging body. It comes bursting out like the involuntary cries of a child. Heald recognizes Alex’s pain when he admits, “I’m too old for this struggle.” He conveys Alex’s quiet acceptance of life when he describes Bach’s sonata for Georgie saying, “Music exists in the spaces between the notes,” as if entreating her to turn it off and go within — just for a few seconds.

Amy Lizardo, an Oregon Shakespeare Festival actor, is on target with her characterization of Georgie. She knows what Georgie needs to do to lead old Alex down the primrose path. She takes us along with her and does it with ease. Lizardo knows how to make room for Georgie’s larger than life character. She knows she needs lots of space and gives it to her. Finding herself in the arms of this elderly man, Lizardo as Georgie asks, “Is this the strangest thing two people have done in the history of the world?”

Michael J. Hume, who has directed several productions at various theaters in the valley, including the Oregon Cabaret Theatre, has taken an empty storage room in the middle of a vineyard and created a space where these two beings, defined by their abandonment experiences, can test the waters and find unconditional love and acceptance. As opposed to a theater-in-the-round, Artistic Director Jessica Sage presents us with a theater in a square. And no set to speak of — just bench props and room to spare. A smart move. The characters carry this one.

Some may be wondering about the title, "Heisenberg." According to the program, it is in reference to Werner Heisenberg, a German physicist and Nobel laureate who came up with the “uncertainty principle” in quantum physics in 1927, which states the movement of particle protons cannot be predicted with accuracy. Much like the physics theory, within this play the characters react to and bounce off of each other with a certain amount of unpredictability, which ironically results in the probability of this very strange relationship actually working out.

Performances of "Heisenberg" are scheduled for 1 p.m. Wednesdays through Sundays through July 30, at Grizzly Peak Winery, 1600 E. Nevada St., Ashland. Regular tickets are $35. For tickets and further information, including special showings, talkbacks and more, see roguetheatercompany.com or call 541-205-9190.

Reach Ashland-based writer Lucie K. Scheuer at LucieScheuer19@gmail.com.