While most college students were born when the Cold War was fizzling out, Moorpark College Professor John Loprieno will give them a chance to catch a glimpse of this turbulent era.

The spring semester of Moorpark College’s Year Of Democracy will be kicked off with a free play, “A Walk in The Woods,” set in the 1980’s during the Cold War. The play will run on Monday, Jan. 26, at 6 p.m. in the Performing Arts Center. Refreshments will be provided.

The play itself will be read by Loprieno and Professor Jack McGee, a SAG actor who has also appeared in over fifty stage plays.

“A Walk in the Woods” is set in a third-party country such as Switzerland. The play deals with the discourse between its two main characters, diplomats from both the U.S. and the Soviet Union, attempting to negotiate an arms reduction agreement in order to lessen the threat of nuclear war.

Loprieno believes that the play is especially relevant in today’s world.

“[It is] a very poignant political play about Russia and America negotiating during the war,” Loprieno said.

He also said that the play concerns leaders having a conscience.

The play “harkens back to a simpler time,” in Loprieno’s words, a time where the world powers were more clear cut, with the USSR and U.S. as the two world powers. Compared with today, the U.S. is the world’s lone superpower and has to deal with “a war on terrorism from all fronts,” said Lopreino.

“A Walk in the Woods” is unique in that instead of being preformed, it will simply be read. Although there will be some elements of a performed act, such as lighting effects and limited props and sets, the heart of the play will be in the reading.

Loprieno said that while there was not much action, the play will still be engaging.

“The discourse is very intellectual,” he said. “[It] pretty much lends itself to a stage reading. [It is] an intelligent and thoughtful play on many levels.”