Invitation to Tragedy Classika-Syneticís ëHost and Guestí Brilliant Mix of Mime, Music, Drama by Carolyn Cosmos Thereís a jewel of a production waiting for you but you have to find it first. Buried in the dark and concrete canyons of the Rosslyn Spectrum theater is a brilliant work of art: "Host and Guest," staged by the Classika-Synetic theater troupe of Arlington, Va. An award-winning piece that got rave reviews in its previous incarnation here in Washington, D.C., as well as a recent Synetic staging in New York, "Host and Guest" is a riveting mix of mime, dance, poetry, music and dramaówith an austere love story played out between husband and wife, as well as battle scenes, ritual blood-letting and spirits floating from the stage into the hereafter. The dance-drama resembles a fairy tale told to children or a parable told to adults. The play depends on the imagination and interpretations of the audience, drawing the viewer in as dancers morph into deer or actors turn into horses or poles become rifles, then tree branches, then knives, then trees again. In the productionís static and beautifully evocative set, drenched in browns, a rustic home transforms into a rampart, or a different village, o r the entrance into the afterlife. Itís a grownupóand highly sophisticatedóversion of "letís pretend." "Host and Guest" is set among mountain tribesmen in the former Soviet Republic of Georgia, but its story of bloody revenge traditions between two villagesóone Muslim, one Christianócreates a universal parable. The plot deals with simultaneously meting out justice and mercy and the consequences of unleashing the passions of war. When two hunters from different villages meet in a forest near the Black Sea, Joqola, a Muslim, (played in some performances by the productionís director and founder of Synetic Theater, Paata Tsikurishvili) invites the other hunter, Zviadauri (Irakli Kavsadze), to share the meat of a kill and become an honored guest in his house. When Joqola cites village tradition and his obligation to ensure that "the guest is the last to die," the stage is set for an unraveling tragedy. Joqolaís fellow villagers are incensed, angrily yelling, "Our blood enemy has crept into our town tonight. That devil who has slain so many of our sons and fathers is now lodged as a guest in Joqolaís home." Joqola and his wife (played by choreographer and Synetic co-founder Irina Tsikurishvili) are torn between their host obligations and the revenge traditions of the village. Joqola defends his guest, reluctantly at times, seeking a way out, while Joqolaís wife becomes ostracized and isolated and the villages are plunged into what is clearly an endless cycle of war. That epic cycleówith numerous battles, death scenes, ritual killings, burials, and women sending their men off to waróis somewhat repetitious in "Host and Guest" and could benefit from some fresh visualizations about three-quarters of the way through, where the surprises stop. The play, based on an epic poem by Vazha Pshavela, a Georgian poet, was adapted by Roland Reed, playwright-in-residence for the Stanislavsky Theater Studio and Synetic Theater. Synetic itself was originally part of the downtown Stanislavsky. The Tsikurishvilis have been creating stunning theater and garnering awards for years, and their imaginative performance pieces deserve a packed house night after night. Yet their theater is still described as "struggling," and some performances are sparsely attended. It hasnít helped that their stage has been difficult to find. Now ensconced in a shopping mall in a Rosslyn byway, the directions on their Web page donít always work. People who answer their phone also donít always know the directions to their own theater. However, "Host and Guest" is worth some extra effortótry it, find it and share it with others. "Host and Guest" runs through Oct. 30 at the Rosslyn Spectrum, 1611 N. Kent St., Arlington, Va. Tickets are $29 to $39. For more information, please call (703) 824-8060 or visit www.synetic.org. Carolyn Cosmos is a contributing writer for The Washington Diplomat.