Ross Zentner
Pickering, left, and Madden deliver some of the show’s best moments without dialogue.
In Forward Theater’s current production of Heisenberg, Georgie (Colleen Madden) and Alex (James Pickering) don’t just meet cute in a London train station, they meet odd. To describe the characters’ jobs and backgrounds would rob audience members of some interesting discoveries, so I’ll just say that Alex is an Irish septuagenarian, and he’s 33 years older than Georgie.
The quirky play — running through Feb. 3 at Overture’s Playhouse — was written by Simon Stephens, who adapted the award-winning play The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. Madden, a core member at American Players Theatre, and Pickering, a longtime member of Milwaukee Rep’s resident acting company, are exactly the kind of acting pros you hope for in a production like this.
Pickering looks like a current-day Peter Gabriel (if Peter Gabriel wore sweater vests), and his Alex seems like a solid citizen even though he’s a tough nut to crack. He’s wary, but sensible, and the audience at the Jan. 20 matinee often nodded at his lines, as though he were speaking on their behalf.
Georgie asks Alex early on if he finds her “exhausting yet captivating.” I found Georgie exhausting, but Madden’s performance captivating. Georgie is a manic, whirling dervish instigator who breaks into accents, weaves tales and blurts out statements that are either darling or grating (it’s up to you), and then says things like “Oh, did I just say that?” Think Katharine Hepburn in Bringing Up Baby or Melanie Griffith in Something Wild.
The production, directed with a sure and steady hand by Laura Gordon, is well crafted and handsome. The lean but nimble set (by Jason Fassl) and the spot-on costumes from Shannon Heibler strike the right notes, even when Stephens’ dialogue doesn’t. As the two characters circle each other, there are reflections on love and loss that are poignant and observations that are witty. Still, I couldn’t get past the annoying stream of words coming from Georgie’s mouth.
Most resonant for me were some moments without dialogue; a transition between scenes with Aretha Franklin’s “Baby I Love You” playing in the background while the characters silently prepare for their next bit of business.
If you are looking for a pleasant diversion on a blustery day, those moments are clear, sweet and true — and sometimes that’s all we need from a play.
