VENUS WITH THE FUR
Spread the word
One of the biggest theatrical hits in America and Europe goes up this winter for limited performances in Athens and continues with a winter tour around Greece. David Ives' famous play, VENUS WITH THE FUR, was directed by Reina Eskenazi. Argyris Aggelou and Varvara Larmou star in it.
David Ives' play is exceptional and very daring. It begins as a sentimental comedy and ends as a play full of cruelty – the cruelty that often possesses human relationships. The balance of roles in romantic relationships, the obsession one can become with the object of one's desire, the game of charm, of power in relationships and the workplace, all this, along with the constant twists and turns in characters and situations, lead the story to its unexpected ending. In VENUS IN THE FUR, one piece of advice proves very useful: BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR…
The story:
Alone in a theatre in Paris, after a gruelling day of auditions, the director, Thomas, complains on the phone about the inept actresses he saw. No one is worthy of taking the leading role in his play. He is about to leave when, suddenly, Vanda bursts in.
At first, she seems to be what Thomas loathes, but he eventually lets her audition. At first, he is stunned and then, bit by bit, enchanted by her transformation. Vada not only fits the role perfectly but seems to have studied the play thoroughly and knows all the dialogues. But as the audition progresses, Thomas becomes fascinated and goes from attraction to obsession...
VENUS WITH THE FUR was written as a novel in 1870 by Leopold Von Sacher-Mazoch, forever linking the author to textbook psychology and the psychopathology definition of pleasure through pain. The play inspired David Ives, whose work was made into a film by Roman Polanski starring Mathieu Amalric and Emmanuelle Seigneur. As a play, it was initially staged on off-Broadway stages, but due to its great success, it continued to major stages in many countries worldwide.