Venus in Fur – Hot Evening, Hotter Show

Jeff Giberson and Jaiden Wirth
Photo by Alicia Turvin

By Tina Arth

The streets of Portland were sizzling last Saturday night, but inside the Twilight Theater stage provided fierce competition, as Venus in Fur started out cool, gradually moved through simmer, then 90 minutes later closed at a full boil. Playwright David Ives’ compelling mixture of comedy and eroticism has been entertaining, disturbing, and disorienting audiences since its 2010 debut, and Twilight director Alicia Turvin has done a superb job of steering the two actors through a non-stop roller coaster ride of a script.  Twilight’s theme this season is “The Play is the Thing” and Venus delivers a three-fold dose with a play within a play about a play.

Begin with Austrian author Leopold von Sacher-Masoch’s 1870 novel, Venus in Furs. Without going into too much detail, suffice it to say that Sacher-Masoch is the cheery lad who gave us the “Masoch” part of sadomasochism. Fictional playwright Thomas has written, and is now casting, a play based on Venus in Furs – but he’s having a tough time finding just the right actor to play the role of Vanda, the proper young woman who overcomes her initial distaste and enthusiastically embraces the role of dominatrix. Thunder, lightning, and voila! In walks a woman coincidentally named Vanda – and at first glance she could not be less appropriate. She’s a couple of hours late, brash, disorganized, angst-filled, frantic, seemingly lacking every quality Thomas seeks – her only redeeming quality is her persistence. Refusing to take “no” to her demand for an audition, she sheds her rain-oaked attire and awkwardly wrestles her way into a Victorian dress. The dramatic transformation captures Thomas’ attention, and he agrees (reluctantly – he’s a playwright, not an actor) to read a scene with her. Vanda’s surreal entrance presages a fascinating exploration of obsession, power, and gender roles, a closed world where Thomas and Vanda first become the characters in the play, then gradually reshape the play to fit the actors. When Vanda insists that the male lead, Severin, be called Thomas, it becomes clear that the lines between theatrical and real life roles are starting to blur. In addition to shifting sexual dominance, the powerful positions of author and director begin to shift, and what starts as humorous interplay between the two becomes deadly serious.

Jeff Giberson (Thomas) and Jaiden Wirth (Vanda) lead the audience on an emotionally exhausting trip through the physically and mentally demanding story. Wirth is physically perfect for the role – her sveltely muscular body is tantalizing, but not voluptuous, and she wields it as a comic, dramatic, and flat-out sexual weapon. She is hilarious as the desperate klutz, even when stripped to bra and panties - which makes her transformation into hyper confident femme fatale particularly stunning. Giberson navigates an equally challenging path; as Vanda spurs him into growing self-awareness, he must transform himself from the all-powerful author to quivering, sweating victim of his own desires. Most important, both Wirth and Giberson fully commit at every stage of the play – as they lose track of the distinction between actor and role, they bring the audience into their journey.

Lighting designer Robin Pair and light and sound operator Spencer Wallace keep what could be a static single set constantly alive, as flickering lights and the off-stage storm first define the comic elements and later emphasize the characters’ utter isolation from any objective, outside reality. Alicia Turvin developed a clear vision of the incredibly intricate characters, story line, and under her direction the cast and production team fully deliver the eroticism, humor, and suspense of David Ives’ quirky play.

Despite the absence of actual nudity or overt sexual activity, the play is definitely not appropriate for younger audiences (or for adults who are uncomfortable with overtly sexual themes). Beyond that cautionary note, I unqualifiedly endorse the production – it is a perfect fit for Twilight’s generally sophisticated, edgy approach to community theater!

Twilight Theater Company’s Venus in Fur is playing at the Performing Arts Theater, 7515 N. Brandon Avenue, Portland through August 12th with performances at 8 P.M. Friday and Saturday and 3:00 P.M. Sunday. There is also an 8:00 P.M. performance on Thursday, August 9^th.