‘Mahring’: Sense and nonsense in intelligence

Published 8:05 pm Thursday, October 14, 2010

Newcomer to the local community theater scene, Do North, touts this venture into the nightmarish world of military intelligence gathering as “…based on actual events.” If so, it is a true wonder we didn’t bomb ourselves back to the Stone Age fifty years ago.

The title is “Mutiny at Mahring,” referring to an incident that occurred at a listening outpost of the Army Security Agency on the Czech/East German border during the height of the Cold War, circa 1963.

Cryptographers at the listening post received orders coming from President Johnson through the National Security Agency to the Army Security Agency. The orders were “… to produce evidence…” of the Soviet Union’s intention to invade Eastern Europe. The key words were: “produce evidence,” meaning make the case for us to strike first, start WW III, trigger worldwide annihilation.

“Mutiny” is about what that handful of hand-picked men at the listening post did with Johnson’s orders, alone and on their own, and why. Patriots or traitors, heroes or cowards, you decide.

In performance, Adrian Moynihan leads with an absorbing job of steering the line between bigger than life and the best we’ve got to give. He is enigmatic and remote at times, yes; but never at the expense of both-feet-on-the-ground human. Moynihan makes “Mutiny” real.

If Moynihan profiles the great soldier, Brendan Mack profiles the good soldier; the one who does what he is told, stays inside the box and covers his rear always. Knew some like him when I was in. Mack fills the bill.

Luke Saylor is the soldier who talks a good game but doesn’t walk his talk. Saylor’s soldier sails along likeably but from the sidelines. Engaging performance.

Colin Madison, Chris Woodhouse and playwright, Tom Powell, round out the cast.

Tech effects, props, sets and the like reduce to near zero. Dialogue gets a little tough to follow off and on. You’re not quite sure where things are going. But let me tell you. It is certainly worth it when it all comes together.

Playwright, Tom Powell, says in the program, now that he has written a stage play, he is “…unlikely to write another.” Maybe the man has but one really good story in him. If so, this is a terrific one.

Congrats, Do North, on your first time out. This one is a good one.

Reactions? Comments? E-mail Dale Burrows at entfeatures@heraldnet.com or grayghost7@comcast.net.