An exploration of sexual control and desire inspired by the erotic novel of the same name.
What Is the Story of Venus in Fur?
As David Ives’ new play begins, we meet a modern-day playwright/director who has written an adaptation of Venus in Fur, the 1870 novel by Leopold Sacher-Masoch that became infamous when the author’s last name inspired the term “sado-masochism” to describe the interplay of sex and power in the book. An actress arrives to audition, her bag filled with S&M gear and period costumes. Soon the playwright is drawn into reading his own script with this mysterious young woman, with breaks to argue about the meaning of the story and the motivation of the characters.
What Is Venus in Fur Like?
Set in a stark rehearsal studio, this fast-moving 90-minute play is both an intellectual adventure and an often funny encounter between an actress and a playwright. The talented cast of two make quick shifts between their 21st-century selves and the 19th-century Venus in Fur characters, donning costume pieces and taking on Continental accents as they lose themselves in the play. The action is chaste, but the language explores themes of domination and the nature of attraction.
Is A Venus in Fur Good for Kids?
Nope—it’s a thought-provoking, witty evening for adults only.