If you go to Theatre BSMT’s current production of David Mamet’s The Woods, it’s important to keep in mind that Theatre BSMT is a sort of training ground for emerging theatre artists. That way, it’s easier to understand the inexperience of the two actors in the show who haven’t yet developed the acting chops to pull off Mamet’s script.

To be fair, I think Mamet is a demanding playwright for any cast. His dialogue is fragmented and disjointed and, often, his works have no real plot to engage the audience. The only thing The Woods offers is an examination of a young couple’s relationship over the period of a day and the difficulties they have communicating with each other. It takes great skill on the part of the actors to make this play come alive and hold the attention of the audience.

The Woods, directed by Jason Mehmel, is about two young lovers — Nick (Jeremy Mason) and Ruth (Truus Verkley) — who go to Nick’s family cabin in the woods to get closer to one another in the peace and quiet of the country.

The play opens with the couple sitting on a porch, talking. They talk and talk and talk — about gulls flying, an old rowboat that’s rotting and whether there are beavers in the area. It soon becomes evident that, although they’re talking, they’re not really communicating. This seemingly banal chatter goes on and on and tends to drag down the pace of the play. As an audience member, you almost want to scream, “Get on with it, already!”

Sometimes, each character shares snippets of memories or feelings that might be emotionally telling and might shed some light on who they are and what they want, but these thoughts remain incomplete. Their inability to communicate meaningfully with each other soon leads to argument.

As the emotional intensity of the play builds, including a disturbing scene in which Nick nearly rapes Ruth, the production gets more interesting and the pace picks up substantially.

You see the frustration of each character, as they can’t make the other understand what it is they really want. It takes almost the entire play — once the couple is on the verge of breaking up — for them to finally express a bit of what’s in their hearts.

Mason and Verkley try to convey the extensive emotional journey the characters go through. Unfortunately, they don’t quite manage to do so in an emotionally truthful, convincing manner. It often feels like you’re watching the characters act angry, rather than be angry. Verkley, in particular, frequently comes across like a little girl stamping her foot and pouting, and I found her anger peevish and juvenile.

The production values in this play are simple but effective. The spare set, consisting of a porch with two creaky wooden chairs, is perfect. There are curtains hanging down on either side, with lights casting shadows upon them in a way that suggests trees, which helps make the most of the small Motel theatre space. The gentle forest sounds at the beginning of the play, along with the lighting, provide the perfect setting.