Venus in Fur
Encyclopedia
Venus in Fur is a two-person play set in the modern day by David Ives
, which had its première at the Classic Stage Company
Off Broadway in New York City in 2010, and on Broadway
in 2011.
at the Classic Stage Company, on January 13, 2010, originally set to close on February 21, 2010 and extended to March 7. The cast featured Nina Arianda
and Wes Bentley
with direction by Walter Bobbie
. The play relaunched the career of Wes Bentley.
The play opened on Broadway, produced by the Manhattan Theatre Club
, at the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre beginning in previews on October 13, 2011 and officially on November 8, 2011. Nina Arianda reprises her role as Vanda and Hugh Dancy
replaces Wes Bentley, with Walter Bobbie directing.
which inspired the term Masochism, is on the telephone lamenting the inadequacies of all the actresses who showed up that day to audition for the lead character. Suddenly, at the last minute, a new actress bursts in, the exemplar of every fault he has decried: needy, crude, compliant, desperate. Yet over the next 90 minutes, the balance of power shifts as the actress establishes total dominance over the director, exactly as in the novel.
. She also received nominations for the Outer Critics Circle Award
, Outstanding Actress in a Play, the Lucille Lortel Award, Outstanding Lead Actress, and the Drama League Award
, Distinguished Performance.
Other nominations were Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Director and Outstanding Costume Design and Drama League for Distinguished Production of a Play.
David Ives
David Ives is a contemporary American playwright. A native of South Chicago, Ives attended a minor Catholic seminary and Northwestern University and, after some years' interval, Yale School of Drama, where he received an MFA in playwriting...
, which had its première at the Classic Stage Company
Classic Stage Company
Classic Stage Company, or CSC, is a classical Off-Broadway theater dedicated to reimagining the classical repertory for a contemporary American audience, presenting plays from the past that speak directly to today's issues. Founded in 1967, Classic Stage Company is one of Off-Broadway's...
Off Broadway in New York City in 2010, and on Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
in 2011.
Productions
Venus in Fur opened Off-BroadwayOff-Broadway
Off-Broadway theater is a term for a professional venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, and for a specific production of a play, musical or revue that appears in such a venue, and which adheres to related trade union and other contracts...
at the Classic Stage Company, on January 13, 2010, originally set to close on February 21, 2010 and extended to March 7. The cast featured Nina Arianda
Nina Arianda
Nina Arianda is an American theatre and film actress.-Early life and education:Arianda grew up in Clifton, New Jersey and Heidelberg, Germany...
and Wes Bentley
Wes Bentley
Wesley Cook "Wes" Bentley is an American film actor known for his role of Ricky Fitts in American Beauty.-Early life:Bentley was born in Jonesboro, Arkansas, the son of Cherie and David Bentley, who are United Methodist ministers....
with direction by Walter Bobbie
Walter Bobbie
Walter Bobbie is an American theatre director, choreographer, and occasional actor and dancer. Bobbie has directed both musicals and plays on Broadway and Off-Broadway, and was the Artistic Director of the New York City Center Encores! concert series...
. The play relaunched the career of Wes Bentley.
The play opened on Broadway, produced by the Manhattan Theatre Club
Manhattan Theatre Club
Manhattan Theatre Club is a theater company located in New York City. Under the leadership of Artistic Director Lynne Meadow and Executive Producer Barry Grove, Manhattan Theatre Club has grown since its founding in 1970 from an Off-Off Broadway showcase into one of the country’s most acclaimed...
, at the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre beginning in previews on October 13, 2011 and officially on November 8, 2011. Nina Arianda reprises her role as Vanda and Hugh Dancy
Hugh Dancy
- Early life and career :Dancy was born in Stoke-on-Trent, the son of British philosopher Jonathan Dancy, a professor at the University of Reading and at the University of Texas at Austin. His mother, Sarah, is a publisher. His brother, Jack, is a co-director of the travel company, Trufflepig...
replaces Wes Bentley, with Walter Bobbie directing.
Plot
The writer-director of a new play, an adaptation of the novelVenus in Furs
Venus in Furs is a novella by Austrian author Leopold von Sacher-Masoch, the best known of his works. The novel was part of an epic series that Sacher-Masoch envisioned called Legacy of Cain. Venus in Furs was part of Love, the first volume of the series...
which inspired the term Masochism, is on the telephone lamenting the inadequacies of all the actresses who showed up that day to audition for the lead character. Suddenly, at the last minute, a new actress bursts in, the exemplar of every fault he has decried: needy, crude, compliant, desperate. Yet over the next 90 minutes, the balance of power shifts as the actress establishes total dominance over the director, exactly as in the novel.
Awards and nominations
Nina Arianda won the Clarence Derwent Award, Clive Barnes Award, and the Theatre World AwardTheatre World Award
The Theatre World Award, first awarded for the 1945-46 season, is an American honor presented annually to actors and actresses in recognition of an outstanding New York City stage debut performance, either on Broadway or off-Broadway.-History:...
. She also received nominations for the Outer Critics Circle Award
Outer Critics Circle Award
The Outer Critics Circle Awards are presented annually for theatrical achievements both on and Off-Broadway and were begun during the 1949-1950 theater season. The awards are decided upon by theater critics who review for out-of-town newspapers, national publications, and other media outlets...
, Outstanding Actress in a Play, the Lucille Lortel Award, Outstanding Lead Actress, and the Drama League Award
Drama League Award
The Drama League Awards, created in 1935, honor distinguished productions and performances both on Broadway and Off-Broadway, in addition to recognizing exemplary career achievements in theatre, musical theatre, and directing...
, Distinguished Performance.
Other nominations were Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Director and Outstanding Costume Design and Drama League for Distinguished Production of a Play.