ASHLAND, Ore. – When you hear the name Heisenberg you may think of the German theoretical physicist, or maybe the Breaking Bad character who adopted the nickname. But the Rogue Theater Company‘s production of “Heisenberg” at Grizzly Peak Winery has little to do with physics or the character portrayed by Bryan Cranston.
As actor Anthony Heald put it, “Heisenberg is about uncertainty, about chaos, it’s about the impossibility of predicting what’s going to happen.”
The play, written by Simon Stephens, opened off Broadway in 2015, then debuted on Broadway in 2016. It chronicles the story of Georgie Burns and Alex Priest who meet in a London railway station.
Amy Lizardo, who plays Georgie, described her character as erratic and having what Amy calls a “popcorn brain” that jumps from one topic to the next with little to no segue.
On the other hand, Heald described his character Alex as closed off. “He’s got a real prejudice against feelings, especially against sharing feelings.”
Heald says he’s been wanting to perform this play in the Rogue Valley since portraying Alex in Pittsburgh. He said when the opportunity arose he got his dream cast and director. “I said can we get Amy Lizardo? That would be terrific! And Michael Hume to direct, and I got everything I wanted.”
Lizardo and Heald crossed paths in 2019 when they played in different Oregon Shakespeare Festival productions, but “Heisenberg” is their first production together.
Lizardo spoke highly of her experience working with Health and Hume. “Both as a human and like a theatre professional I think it’s like a master class, I feel so blessed every day.”
The staging at the winery is set up in a theatre in the round style, allowing the audience to immerse themselves in this intimate theatrical experience.
“Heisenberg” opens on July 12th at Grizzly Peak Winery, and runs Wednesday through Sunday, until July 30th. Tickets are available online.
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