Brilliant. I'm a cold war historian (not professionally) so the scope of the story was fascinating to me, but I also found many delights in the ideas and revelations about friendship, and work, psychology, and hope. A splendid audio performance by Alfred Molina and Steven Weber. ( )

Two arms negotiators, one Russian and one American, take a walk in the woods. Over a series of talks, through the changing seasons, they get to know each other. The Russian wants to be friends, but the American just wants to be serious. He isn't interested in talking about Willie Nelson, and his only attempts at frivolous conversation fall terribly flat. Still, they must try to find some common ground if they are to hammer out a peace accord that both governments will accept. A piece that came of age in the Reagan years, it is now somewhat dated due to its political nature; the fall of the Soviet Union made it somewhat irrelevant except as a slice of history. Still, it is well written and interesting, but it might be hard in today's world for a piece this philosophical and talky to hold an audience's interest. That's a shame, because it is a worthy work. ( )

Occasionally the play verges on simplicity, and it never probes specific military issues. However, it does not trivialize its subject; nor does it indulge in name-dropping. Mr. Blessing keeps his sense of humor and his healthy skepticism. The playwright's first mission is an assertion of individual personality, an aim in which he is more successful with his Russian character. One of the play's few flaws is that we learn relatively little about the American, except for signs that beneath his scientific exterior there is repressed rebellion.

2