Single women far outnumbered single men in Berlin in the aftermath of World War II. Nonetheless timid, 30-year-old secretary Karin Maynard can hardly believe her good fortune when she is courted by handsome Markus Richter. That's the set-up for Trina Davies' fifth play, The Romeo Initiative (Playwrights Canada $16.95). This Cold War stage thriller examines the Stasi (East German secret police) program that sent handsome male spies to seduce West German secretaries in order to gain access to West German government intelligence in the 1970s. It was shortlisted for a Governor-General's award in 2012. 978-1-77091-053-9

[BCBW 2012]