Venus In Fur at Studio Theatre

Venus In Fur

Studio Theatre
1501 14th St. NW Washington

Inspired by Leopold von Sacher-Masoch’s notorious erotic novel (which first shocked readers in 1870), Venus in Fur explores the complex relationship between sex and power. Reality and fantasy, strength and weakness, and pleasure and pain all blend together in one of the smartest and funniest plays to emerge in recent years.

Thru - Jul 31, 2011

Tuesdays: 8:00pm

Wednesdays: 8:00pm

Thursdays: 8:00pm

Fridays: 8:00pm

Saturdays: 2:00pm & 8:00pm

Sundays: 2:00pm & 7:00pm

Price: $44-$65

Show Type: Drama

Running Time: 1 hr, 40 mins with no intermission

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Venus In Fur Reviews

Average Rating based on 8 reviews

Highly Recommended
Recommended
Somewhat Recommended
Not Recommended

MetroWeekly - Recommended

"...The playwright and director: He's the one with all the power here, right? This vixen in the dog collar: She's but a mere actress, right? So how is it that she can get into his head so effortlessly? How did she get hold of an entire script, when agents were only supposed to send out excerpts? How does she know everything about Thomas's fiancee – who keeps calling Thomas's cell phone to see what's holding him up – including all the qualities she lacks but that he clearly yearns for in a relationship?"

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- Jonathan Padget

WeLoveDC - Highly Recommended

"...There’s so much depth in this short play. It can be enjoyed as a highly theatrical comedy, as a treatise on the tangled web of gender politics (echoes of Mamet’s Oleanna or Muller’s Quartet), with references to poetry and philosophy and paganism. I wish I could describe the immense intensity of that final moment, but that would be ruining your own anticipation, and it’s so sublime not knowing what will happen next. We once believed in beings who burned us if we got too close to that knowledge, or if we dared to insult them."

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- Jenn Larsen

Washington City Paper - Highly Recommended

"...It’s difficult to recall another piece so precariously dependent not only upon the brilliance of its performers but on their lockstep synchronicity. As playwright and player, Christian Conn and Erica Sullivan are equal partners in a shared performance, and it’s a knockout."

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- Chris Klimek

Washingtonian - Highly Recommended

"...For director David Muse, this is a promising hint of things to come next season. Ives’s script is all about power, and Muse’s ability to effortlessly express the back-and-forths of an S&M/actor-director relationship while simultaneously commenting on the process of art is admirable. Essentially, the play relies entirely on its two leads, both of whom deliver outstanding performances as the kooky actress and the repressed director. Blythe R.D. Quinlan’s bare-bones set works nicely as a counterpoint to the elaborate language, while the lighting, by Michael Lincoln, is remarkably effective in punctuating different scenes. The process of creating art might hurt, but this intelligent comedy actually feels surprisingly good."

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- Sophie Gilbert

BrightestYoungThings - Highly Recommended

"...Venus in Fur is a completely hilarious, slightly sexy, and utterly brilliant play that can be enjoyed as a ripping farce filled with brilliant dialog and the bravura performances of its two actors, or as a rather dark meditation on power and control. I opted for a little bit of both – comedy and psychoanalysis, and came away quite breathless. Quite a feat, really, but it really is that good."

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- William Alurque

MD Theatre Guide - Highly Recommended

"...Venus in Fur created somewhat of a sensation off-Broadway last year and now audiences in the Washington/Maryland/Virginia area get to see why. I highly recommend that you submit yourself to this intelligent, fascinating and appropriately titillating play."

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- Doug Poms

DCTheatreScene - Highly Recommended

David Ives' marvelous Venus in Fur is now receiving a superb production at the hands of Studio Theatre. It is subtle, brilliant, precise – but best of all, it is a vehicle for an astonishing performance by the remarkable Erica Sullivan.

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- Tim Treanor

Venus In Fur at Studio Theatre

Venus In Fur

Venus In Fur Reviews

MetroWeekly - Recommended

WeLoveDC - Highly Recommended

Washington City Paper - Highly Recommended

Washingtonian - Highly Recommended

BrightestYoungThings - Highly Recommended

MD Theatre Guide - Highly Recommended

DCTheatreScene - Highly Recommended

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