On Friday, October 10, all the First Nighters—and their guests—gave Venus in Fur a rousing (and, standing!) ovation before heading out to Ela’s Terrace for a party that captured the play’s mood—sexy, mysterious, and a just a little bit kinky.
First Nighters were invited to relax in the Argyos lobby, transformed into a sensuous lounge with black furniture and lusterous red pillows. Tons of red roses—some with black feather “ticklers”—abounded, along with touches of black vinyl linen, black sheer table cloths over red satin linen and, here and there, a pair of handcuffs or a whip!
It was all in good fun, and served as backdrop for the director and actors, who bathed in praise, led by Honorary Producers Geoff and Valerie Fearns. “Venus in Fur was simply terrific theater! Casey did an excellent job directing the play, and the superb performances by Jaimi and Graham made it exceptional.”
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Showing posts with label Venus in Fur. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Venus in Fur. Show all posts
Wednesday, October 15, 2014
Friday, October 3, 2014
No Strangers to Chemistry: Jaimi Paige and Graham Hamilton
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| Graham Hamilton and Jaimi Paige in Venus in Fur. |
In real life, actors Jaimi Paige and Graham Hamilton are no strangers. Earlier this year, they worked on a production in Los Angeles and bonded from that experience. Venus in Fur by David Ives reunites the pair for another heated battle between the sexes. We talked with the two about their first meeting, working together again and what they really think of each other:
Earlier this year, you both worked on another play called Tender Napalm in Los Angeles. Can you tell us how that came about?
Jaimi Paige: My good friend—and our director—Edward Edwards and I had found the script and we wanted to produce it. We knew how important it was to find the right actor to play the male role and started brainstorming and searching. Edward found Graham's information online, and about a week later I met him randomly at an audition. We read together at that audition, and I knew immediately he was the guy. Graham Hamilton: She told me that she and her director were looking for someone to play the role of Man. Within a couple hours I was reading the script for Tender Napalm. I can honestly say that I'd never encountered anything like it. The language, the story, the depth of the characters and the outrageous ambition it would take to bring it to life absolutely floored me. As soon as I finished the script I wrote Jaimi to ask what the next step was. A week later Jaimi, Edward and I gathered in her living room to read it out loud and see what we had on our hands. Our tremendous chemistry was evident as we played off each other with incredible ease. We read the play cover to cover without stopping and I'll never forget the feeling in the room after I spoke the final words. The three of us stared, agape, in silence.
Jaimi: It felt like magic to me.
Graham: I can't remember who, but one of us said, "So, how do we do this?" Long story short, we began envisioning the production we wanted to create. Everything from the space, to lighting, to design, to fundraising and to the team of artistic collaborators that we wanted—it all fell into our laps.
Jaimi: It proved to be a really extraordinary experience for all of us on many levels.
Did that experience make it easier for you to jump into Venus in Fur?
Jaimi: Of course! I've had so many people over the course of Tender Napalm point out our chemistry. We do have incredible chemistry together, and that is so much fun to play with. More important to me is the trust that I share with Graham. Chemistry is one thing, but when it is anchored to a deep trust and mutual respect for each other, then you can really dive in and explore the story without hesitation or fear.
Graham: Yes, in many ways it's been easier. We play together so well that the process had moved rather quickly, with leaps and discoveries happening daily. On the other hand, it remains a challenge. Venus in Fur is a very tricky play, and there are many traps for the actors to fall in; some of which I'm still crawling out of. Its multi-dimensional nature entices the mind to analyze, but from an acting standpoint, it really wants to be shot out of a gun and played to the end without too much thinking. There's so much going on for these characters, but beneath it all are simple motivations that we anchor ourselves to constantly, no matter how intricate and ambiguous the story seems. It's easy, so long as I trust myself and stay connected to Jaimi.
What’s it been like to reunite for another intimate two-person play that deals with the power play between men and women?
Jaimi: Incredible. Graham is an amazing partner, he is so powerful and he digs so deep into his work, which is essential in this piece. He challenges me every minute and I feel myself having to raise my game all the time. I feel incredibly fortunate to be working on this piece with Graham and Casey [Venus in Fur director, Casey Stangl].
Graham: It's been a blast. It's easy to be intimate with Jaimi because she's so damn good! I'll never be able to take all the power from her, but it's always fun to try.
What have been some fun moments for you during rehearsals?
Jaimi: It's such a fun show to do. There have been so many moments. I really do enjoy the dynamic between Graham and Casey. They've worked together before and they have such a great relationship, and that makes for a really great and comfortable place to play.
Graham: Aside from cracking up at Jaimi's hairpin turns, it's been fun watching Casey, who has directed this play before, discover it all over again. It's a great rehearsal room and I enjoy laughing at Jaimi vicariously through our director and the stage management.
What’s one word you would use to describe your cast mate?
Jaimi: Connected. Graham is such a deep, connected individual. He is so connected to the story, each moment and he’s always locked in with me. He's that way in life, too. He's connected with the earth, with the people around him and he makes such an impact in everything he does. On stage and in life, he's been a huge inspiration to me.
Graham: AWESOME. Jaimi's work is awesome. It fills me with awe. I tease her sometimes and say that she's 'scary', but it's true. Working so closely with her is like standing beneath a mountain or paddling into a pounding sea. She draws you in like a precipice.
See this duo electrify the stage and get your tickets to Venus in Fur now!
Friday, September 26, 2014
The Fur Trade: Reinventing "Venus" for the Stage
by Andy Knight
SCR is delighted to welcome back director Casey Stangl to helm its production of David Ives’ steamy comedy. Stangl has directed on SCR’s stages a number of times, including Sarah Ruhl’s In the Next Room or the vibrator play, Sofia Alvarez’s Between Us Chickens and many Theatre for Young Audiences productions.
Stangl is no stranger to Venus in Fur. Earlier this year, she directed a production of the play for American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco. With that production under her belt, Stangl was excited to revisit Venus in Fur in an all new production at SCR. “The play is so rich in character and in its exploration of gender and power,” Stangl says, “I'm looking forward to new discoveries!”
Venus in Fur’s two actors have a daunting task. They have to be adept at not only broad comedy and period-style acting, but also at the utmost sincerity—and their chemistry is essential to the production’s success. SCR is lucky to have actors more than up for the challenge. SCR audiences will recognize Graham Hamilton (Becky Shaw, Saturn Returns and Hamlet) in the role of Thomas, but many might not know Jaimi Paige (Vanda), who makes her SCR debut. Venus in Fur is not the first time that Hamilton and Paige have shared the stage; last season, they appeared in a stirring production of Philip Ridley’s Tender Napalm, which won them raves from both audiences and critics.
Stangl also assembled a first-rate design team to bring the play’s surprising world to life, including Scenic Designer Keith Mitchell, (Fast Company), Costume Designer David Kay Michelson (Five Mile Lake, The Parisian Woman), Lighting Designer Elizabeth Harper (Reunion) and Sound Designer Jeff Polunas (last season’s TYA musical Ivy + Bean).
More information on Venus in Fur’s cast and creative team can be found on SCR’s website.
David Ives’ Venus in Fur begins at the end of an afternoon full of unsuccessful auditions. Thomas Novachek still hasn’t found the right actress to play Vanda, the lead character in his stage adaptation of Leopold von Sacher-Masoch’s 1870 erotic novel Venus in Furs.
Thomas has a lot on the line: he not only wrote the adaptation, but also plans to direct the production. Everything has to be perfect. Now, alone in his rented rehearsal space in New York City, the exasperated Thomas bemoans the lack of skilled and sexy actresses to his fiancé over the phone. Outside, a storm rages.
A crash of thunder and lightning not only interrupts Thomas’ phone call, but also announces the unexpected arrival of a young actress. She introduces herself as Vanda, a strange coincidence—well it’s actually Wanda, she explains, but her parents called her Vanda—and she has a litany of excuses for why she is late to the auditions. Thomas, certain that this scattered and clueless real-life Vanda isn’t right for the clever and poised Vanda in the play, tries to dismiss her. But she’s persistent, and Thomas finally lets Vanda read for the part. Since everyone else has gone home for the day, he agrees to read with her.
Once they begin, Thomas is shocked by Vanda’s skilled performance and then by Vanda herself. She seems to simultaneously know nothing and everything about what she’s performing. Thomas’ play tells a story of sexual dominance and submission, and as Thomas and Vanda continue reading, the real world and the world of the play begin to blur together. Soon, role-playing takes on more than one meaning, and the sexual tension that fills the rehearsal studio threatens to become something much more dangerous.
Like Thomas, Venus in Fur's playwright David Ives had originally intended to write a more faithful adaptation of an erotic novel. That novel, however, was not Sacher-Masoch’s Venus in Furs, but instead the French novel Story of O, a very different—and much more explicit—examination of sexual submission. That adaptation never came to fruition because, as Ives wrote in an article printed before Venus in Fur’s Broadway run, Story of O “is fundamentally undramatic. If your main character submits on page one, where’s the drama?” So, Ives turned his attention to Venus in Furs next, which proved more inspiring:
“I found myself electrified,” he recalls. “Dramaturgically electrified, I mean, because the relationship between Severin and Wanda, the two lovers of the plot, seemed to dramatize itself without the intervention of a playwright’s hands. Unlike Story of O, Venus in Furs sparks with the friction of two buttoned up people in an erotic power play who challenge, resist and disagree with each other even while bound by mutual sexual attraction. That sure sounded dramatic to me.”
Ives’ first draft of Venus in Fur adapted its source material faithfully, but the playwright quickly came to realize that it wasn’t successful. After a rewrite, Ives had a play that examined the novel’s central relationship in a new setting and with a fresh set of circumstances. The novel’s 19th century Austria became present-day New York City; the six-month love affair in the novel became a brief tryst in a play told in real time. “I don’t know what spurred me to take the route I took,” Ives wrote.
No matter his inspiration, Ives’ Venus in Fur cleverly converses with its source material in both explicit and subtle ways.
The play-within-the-play directly connects the audience to the original text, which in turn allows Ives to find more oblique parallels between his modern day characters and their literary counterparts. By changing the initial nature of the relationship to that between an actor and a director, for example, Ives simulates a power dynamic that may evoke the gender hierarchy of the 19th century. In that context, the audience can quickly identify who’s in power and, more importantly, recognize when things begin to shift.
Perhaps the play’s greatest departure from Sacher-Masoch’s novel is that it is a comedy. To those familiar with Ives’ body of work, however, this should be no surprise. Ives first gained national attention as a writer of short comedies when All in the Timing, an evening of six plays, premiered off-Broadway at Primary Stages in 1993. All in the Timing and Time Flies, another collection of short comedies, are the epitome of Ives’ singular style—writing that boasts bold, witty humor, mixed with keen insights. Ives is also no stranger to adaptation; he’s the translator/adaptor of a few classic French plays, including Georges Feydeau’s A Flea in Her Ear and Molière’s The Misanthrope, which he retitled A School for Lies.
Venus in Fur combines Ives’ special brand of humor, his skill for thoughtful adaptation and a dynamic relationship. Together they make a unique theatrical experience: a funny, titillating and peculiar rollercoaster.
Early in the play, Vanda quips, “Anyway, you don’t have to tell me about sadomasochism. I’m in the theatre,” and with Venus in Fur Ives proves that the theatre is the perfect place to become an expert.
Learn more and buy tickets.
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| Graham Hamilton and Jaimi Paige in Venus in Fur. |
Bringing Venus to Life
SCR is delighted to welcome back director Casey Stangl to helm its production of David Ives’ steamy comedy. Stangl has directed on SCR’s stages a number of times, including Sarah Ruhl’s In the Next Room or the vibrator play, Sofia Alvarez’s Between Us Chickens and many Theatre for Young Audiences productions.
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| Director Casey Stangl |
Venus in Fur’s two actors have a daunting task. They have to be adept at not only broad comedy and period-style acting, but also at the utmost sincerity—and their chemistry is essential to the production’s success. SCR is lucky to have actors more than up for the challenge. SCR audiences will recognize Graham Hamilton (Becky Shaw, Saturn Returns and Hamlet) in the role of Thomas, but many might not know Jaimi Paige (Vanda), who makes her SCR debut. Venus in Fur is not the first time that Hamilton and Paige have shared the stage; last season, they appeared in a stirring production of Philip Ridley’s Tender Napalm, which won them raves from both audiences and critics.
Stangl also assembled a first-rate design team to bring the play’s surprising world to life, including Scenic Designer Keith Mitchell, (Fast Company), Costume Designer David Kay Michelson (Five Mile Lake, The Parisian Woman), Lighting Designer Elizabeth Harper (Reunion) and Sound Designer Jeff Polunas (last season’s TYA musical Ivy + Bean).
More information on Venus in Fur’s cast and creative team can be found on SCR’s website.
Thomas has a lot on the line: he not only wrote the adaptation, but also plans to direct the production. Everything has to be perfect. Now, alone in his rented rehearsal space in New York City, the exasperated Thomas bemoans the lack of skilled and sexy actresses to his fiancé over the phone. Outside, a storm rages.
A crash of thunder and lightning not only interrupts Thomas’ phone call, but also announces the unexpected arrival of a young actress. She introduces herself as Vanda, a strange coincidence—well it’s actually Wanda, she explains, but her parents called her Vanda—and she has a litany of excuses for why she is late to the auditions. Thomas, certain that this scattered and clueless real-life Vanda isn’t right for the clever and poised Vanda in the play, tries to dismiss her. But she’s persistent, and Thomas finally lets Vanda read for the part. Since everyone else has gone home for the day, he agrees to read with her.
Once they begin, Thomas is shocked by Vanda’s skilled performance and then by Vanda herself. She seems to simultaneously know nothing and everything about what she’s performing. Thomas’ play tells a story of sexual dominance and submission, and as Thomas and Vanda continue reading, the real world and the world of the play begin to blur together. Soon, role-playing takes on more than one meaning, and the sexual tension that fills the rehearsal studio threatens to become something much more dangerous.
Like Thomas, Venus in Fur's playwright David Ives had originally intended to write a more faithful adaptation of an erotic novel. That novel, however, was not Sacher-Masoch’s Venus in Furs, but instead the French novel Story of O, a very different—and much more explicit—examination of sexual submission. That adaptation never came to fruition because, as Ives wrote in an article printed before Venus in Fur’s Broadway run, Story of O “is fundamentally undramatic. If your main character submits on page one, where’s the drama?” So, Ives turned his attention to Venus in Furs next, which proved more inspiring:
 |
| David Ives |
Ives’ first draft of Venus in Fur adapted its source material faithfully, but the playwright quickly came to realize that it wasn’t successful. After a rewrite, Ives had a play that examined the novel’s central relationship in a new setting and with a fresh set of circumstances. The novel’s 19th century Austria became present-day New York City; the six-month love affair in the novel became a brief tryst in a play told in real time. “I don’t know what spurred me to take the route I took,” Ives wrote.
No matter his inspiration, Ives’ Venus in Fur cleverly converses with its source material in both explicit and subtle ways.
The play-within-the-play directly connects the audience to the original text, which in turn allows Ives to find more oblique parallels between his modern day characters and their literary counterparts. By changing the initial nature of the relationship to that between an actor and a director, for example, Ives simulates a power dynamic that may evoke the gender hierarchy of the 19th century. In that context, the audience can quickly identify who’s in power and, more importantly, recognize when things begin to shift.
Perhaps the play’s greatest departure from Sacher-Masoch’s novel is that it is a comedy. To those familiar with Ives’ body of work, however, this should be no surprise. Ives first gained national attention as a writer of short comedies when All in the Timing, an evening of six plays, premiered off-Broadway at Primary Stages in 1993. All in the Timing and Time Flies, another collection of short comedies, are the epitome of Ives’ singular style—writing that boasts bold, witty humor, mixed with keen insights. Ives is also no stranger to adaptation; he’s the translator/adaptor of a few classic French plays, including Georges Feydeau’s A Flea in Her Ear and Molière’s The Misanthrope, which he retitled A School for Lies.
Venus in Fur combines Ives’ special brand of humor, his skill for thoughtful adaptation and a dynamic relationship. Together they make a unique theatrical experience: a funny, titillating and peculiar rollercoaster.
Early in the play, Vanda quips, “Anyway, you don’t have to tell me about sadomasochism. I’m in the theatre,” and with Venus in Fur Ives proves that the theatre is the perfect place to become an expert.
Learn more and buy tickets.
Friday, September 19, 2014
Instant Chemistry: Just Add Actors
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| Graham Hamilton and Jaimi Paige in Venus in Fur. |
In Venus in Fur, the character of Thomas is a director who is trying to cast the lead for his play. Into his rehearsal space walks Vanda. South Coast Repertory welcomes an SCR veteran and a first-time SCR actor for David Ives’ two person play—a work that The New York Times calls “kinky, sexy fun.” For actors Graham Hamilton and Jaimi Paige, it’s a bit of a reunion: they recently starred together last year in a production in Los Angeles. Meet the cast of Venus in Fur.
Graham Hamilton (Thomas) previously appeared at SCR in Becky Shaw, Saturn Returns and Hamlet. Last year, Hamilton produced and starred alongside Jaimi Paige in the West Coast premiere of Philip Ridley’s Tender Napalm. The production won three LA Weekly Awards, and received Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle and Ovation nominations. He has performed on stages across the country and, in 2011, received the Helen Hayes Best Actor Award for his portrayal of Hamlet at the Folger Shakespeare Library. His television appearances include “Grey’s Anatomy,” “CSI,” “Company Town,” “Touch,” “NCIS: Los Angeles,” “Big Love,” “Ugly Betty,” “Cold Case,” “Guiding Light,” and national ad campaigns for Volkswagen, Miller Lite, Norelco, Apple and Samsung. A Boomerang Grant recipient and member of The Antaeus Company, Hamilton earned his BFA from The Juilliard School. He currently serves as chairman of the West LA/Malibu Chapter of the Surfrider Foundation, a grassroots, environmental nonprofit dedicated to the protection and enjoyment of oceans, waves and beaches.
Jaimi Paige (Vanda) is making her SCR debut. She most recently was seen in Tender Napalm at Six01 Studio. Her other Los Angeles stage credits include Ghosts and Great Expectations at A Noise Within; The Collector, Jesse Boy and Green Eyes/Rooming House at Ruskin Theatre Group; and Sleeping Ugly at Santa Monica Playhouse. Her other notable stage credits include Juliet (Romeo & Juliet), Helena (A Midsummer Night’s Dream) and Girl in the world premiere of Tennessee Williams’ Green Eyes, featured at the Tennessee Williams Theatre Festival. Her television and film credits include “The Mentalist,” “Medium,” “Ghost Whisperer: The Other Side,” “Diagnosis X,” the feature film Peacock and the upcoming feature film Within the Dark.
Learn more and buy tickets.
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