Synopsis
Venus in Fur - NUP Edition
Published by Northwestern University Press
1 Male 1 Female
Nominated 2012 Tony Awards Best Play
A mysterious, funny and erotic drama ...
Thomas, a young playwright, has written an adaptation of the 1870 novel Venus in Fur by Leopold von Sacher-Masoch (after whom the term "masochism" was coined)
Thomas is desperate to find an actress to play Vanda, the female lead
Then Into his empty audition room walks a vulgar and equally desperate actress
Oddly enough, named Vanda
Though utterly wrong for the sophisticated part, Vanda exhibits a strange command of the material, piquing Thomas' interest with her seductive talents and secretive manner
As the two work through the script, they blur the line between play and reality
And enter a game of submission and domination that only one of them can win
An exploration of gender roles and sexuality, in which desire twists and turns in on itself
And also a witty, unsettling look at the art of acting
Onstage and off
REVIEWS
"Actors may be pleased to hear that in this ninety minutes of good, kinky fun, the upper hand does not necessarily belong to the usual suspect" ~ NY Times
"Venus in Fur invites both carnal and cerebral excitement ..."~ Village Voice
"Ives has crafted a modern take on a classic tale, skillfully twisting his plot and characters in a fast-paced journey into one man's entrapment by a clever, vengeful female" ~ Associated Press
For the DPS Acting Edition, click here