“An unforgivable act. A chance to start over. A fight for redemption.”

From the outside, Walter seems like the perfect neighbour – a calm and quiet man who keeps to himself. On the inside, he is a cyclone of frenzy and agitation. Walter is a pedophile, tormented incessantly by his proclivities. Temptation, that great architect of destruction, is an excruciating fiend that bars him from ever being normal. Shadowed by his parole officer, and estranged from his family, his main source of tranquility and support is Nikki, a co-worker, who sees the humanness behind the monster.

There have always been pedophiles. They are social pariahs – men and women who are not safe from condemnation anywhere. News of their crimes infiltrates our society. Recent articles in newspapers across the western world have reported the uncovering of an online pedophile ring organized out of England that involved more than 700 members in 35 countries. Dateline's popular series, "To Catch a Predator," (NBC) has exposed over 200 hundred potential child predators since its 2006 premiere. Recent studies have found that up to 7% of the Canadian population could have pedophilic tendencies, and pornographic images involving children have been traced to more than 205,000 unique computer addresses in Canada.

Pacific Theatre wishes to produce this compelling play so that it can join in the discussion that is permeating our society, and perhaps (by understanding them better) know how to better deal with pedophiles.

Pacific Theatre’s production will be the Canadian premiere of Fechter’s play, also a screenplay (2005) starring Kevin Bacon and Kyra Sedgwick. Pacific Theatre’s production features Dirk van stralen (Cariboo Magi), Rebecca deBoer (A Bright Particular Star, Halo), Michael Kopsa (Espresso, Hospitality Suite), and Camille Beaudoin (Prodigal Son, Bonobo). Directed by Morris Ertman, THE WOODSMAN is an exploration of redemption for society’s most loathed individuals.

Pacific Theatre gratefully acknowledges the support of the Vancouver Foundation, the Leon and Thea Koerner Foundation, and the Hamber Foundation on this project.

“Acid honesty, rare empathy.” –London Times

“Inspires pity, clinical interest, fondness, and revulsion – sometimes all at once.”
–Village Voice