Venus in Fur: Fantasy/Comedy by David Ives. Directed by Casey Stangl. American Conservatory Theater (A.C.T.), A.C.T.’s Geary Theater, 415 Geary Street, San Francisco. 415-749-2228 or www.act-sf.org. March 19 – April 13, 2014
Venus in Fur a stunner at A.C.T.
[rating:4](5/5 stars)(Vanda (Brenda Meaney), an aspiring actress, convinces Thomas (Henry Clarke), the adaptor/director of a new play based on Leopold von Sacher-Masoch’s 1870 novel of the same name, to read with her. Photo by Kevin Berne.)
Words enter our lexicon for various reasons, some for their infamy others for ordinary reasons. Three words associated with infamy are ‘quisling’ with reference to Norwegian traitor Vidkun Quisling, ‘sadism’ for the sexual practices of the Marques De Sade and ‘masochism’ for Austrian Leopold von Sacher-Masoch who, in 1870, wrote the novel “Venus in Furs.” The play Venus in Fur is based on that novel and is a play within-a-play. However, it is as much about theatrical intrigue as it is a study of BDSM.
For those unfamiliar with the term BDSM, it is shorthand for bondage/discipline, domination/submission and sadism/masochism. Local audiences had a big dose of BDSM in 2012 at the Marines Memorial Theatre in the sold out run of 50 Shades! The Musical, based on the runaway best seller novel “50 Shades of Grey. At the risk of being labeled chauvinistic, little old ladies flocked to the theatre to be titillated by raunchy hilarious implications of sado-masochism. Be assured that ‘raunchy’ probably will not be used in reviews of this semi-intellectual extremely well-acted, clever and disturbing two-hander but it might be.
The proscenium arch curtain has been replaced with a non-descript scruffy drape that lifts to reveal a non-descript rehearsal hall to the sight and sound of thunder, lightning and flickering lights. Author/director Thomas Novachek (Henry Clarke) is bemoaning into a telephone the problems he has undergone auditioning women for a part in an adaptation of Sacher-Masoch’s novel. Enter Vanda Jordan (Brenda Meaney) loaded down with bags, losing a battle with a recalcitrant umbrella and three hours late for the audition. Her description of the tribulations she had to endure getting to the audition is hilarious and the audience responded with appreciative laughter.
The laughter continues with Vanda’s outwardly scatterbrained dialog ending with the plaintive resignation that the part for which she wishes to audition is “Somebody who isn’t me. I’m too young, I’m too old. I’m too big, I’m too small. My résumé’s not long enough. O.K.” Through what appears to be innocence without guile, she weasels her way into giving an audition even though she is told the subject involves masochism. Her response that brings down the house is “You don’t have to tell me about masochism, I’m in the theater!”
In the stage adaptation that Thomas has written there are two characters Vanda von Dunayev and Severin von Kushemski both from Carpathia. They meet when Vanda returns Severin’s copy of “Faust” containing a bookmark of Titian’s painting of “Venus with a Mirror” that she found by the fountain statue of Venus. Severin, after a childhood incident with his aunt who whipped him as he lay on her fur piece, has become obsessed with a predilection to be enslaved by woman. Vanda Jordan’s off handed reply, “Oh! It’s about child abuse” sets Thomas into a defense of love associated with sado-masochism and Ives’ play moves into more serious and dangerous ground.
There is a constant shift back and forth to the present audition and the fantasy of the adaptation replete with appropriate thunder, light changes (Alexander V. Nichols) and incidental music (Will McCandless). Vanda, the neophyte actor, is much more than what she first seems to be. She has come scantily dressed in a leather dominatrix outfit replete with stiletto heeled shoes. Out of her tote bags she brings forth a white 1800’s style dress to play Severin’s Vanda . Those tote bags also provide period costumes (Alex Jaeger) when the time shifts back to Austro-Hungarian Empire.
Brenda Meaney’s performance is riveting and her switch between the two different characters is a marvel to behold and it absolutely believable as she gradually morphs into the male dominant role while Severin/Thomas becomes the begging female subservient slave. Henry Clarke’s performance has more than a touch of verisimilitude with his switches back and forth into reality and fantasy but must play second fiddle to Meaney.
There is a plethora of mystery cleverly within into the play that fortifies Ives’ reputation as a master of dialog. Even with that accolade there are stretches of this 90 minute play without intermission that are redundant and tedious. This reviewer recommends it for the theatre aficionado but not the lady from Dubuque.
Cast: Henry Clarke as Thomas and Brenda Meaney as Vanda .
Artistic Crew: Scenic designer John Lee Beatty; Costume designer Alex Jaeger; Lighting designer Alexander V. Nichols; Sound designer Will McCandless.
Kedar K. Adour, MD
Courtesy of www.theatreworldinternetmagazine.com
