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| Rebecca Olson and Heather Hawkins in Gidion's Knot (photo by Paul Bestock) |
Gidion's Knot by Johnna Adams
Seattle Public Theater
through April 20
It is kind of ironic that children under age 13 are
discouraged from coming to Seattle Public Theater’s gritty production of Gidion’s
Knot, though they really shouldn’t. The irony is due to the subject matter of
this two-hander that every parent and teacher and person who cares about
children should see! Gidion is a ten year old boy. It is his mystery that needs
untangling.
This is an intense 70 minute “real time” play about a
parent-teacher meeting no one you know should ever want to be a part of.
Directed with a sure hand by Shana Bestock, the two actors, Rebecca Olson and
Heather Hawkins go toe to toe with a
welter of emotions and justifications. Rarely will you see such bald emotions
on stage, and if you do, not often will those emotions be as well-deserved as
these.
Johnna Adams has written a taut and intense drama. The word
that keeps leaping to mind is “proportionate.” The emotions are proportionate
to the issues, the discussion is proportionate to the mystery, the women are
balanced one with the other in strengths and weaknesses, the length of the play
is also proportionate to what needs to be said. Everything is measured to the
exact amount needed. That in itself is quite a brilliant success.