STC Presents Les Liaisons Dangereuses directed by John Malkovich

The Shakespeare Theatre Company is proud to welcome the Theatre de l'Atelier's production of Les Liaisons Dangereuses, directed by John Malkovich, to Washington, D.C. This French-revival stageplay, presented with English surtitles and adapted to a 21st century setting, runs from December 6-9, 2012 in the Company's Lansburgh Theatre (450 7th Street, NW).

Enter the world of the opulent French youth who treat romance as a game and wield sex as a weapon. In the Academy Award-winning 1998 film adaption of the novel-turned-play, Dangerous Liaisons, Malkovich made a name for himself as an actor of international renown for his chilling portrayal of the charming yet calculating Vicomte de Valmont, opposite Glenn Close and Michelle Pfieffer. Malkovich returns to direct the story in the original French language with a modern twist: the correspondences that ensnare and unravel the characters in the play have been transposed to modern day texting and messaging on cell phones and tablets. So too have the costumes been updated to a mix of period pieces and modern day garb.

The production garnered praise from critics and audiences alike in Paris. Malkovich has stocked his cast with vivacious new talent from acting schools across France to create a young and dynamic ensemble true to the original text. For a play steeped in deception, nothing is hidden from the audience's sight, and the actors remain on stage for the entire performance.

As members of the young French elite with too much money and time on their hands, two former lovers, the Marquise de Merteuil and Vicomte de Valmont, spend their days spinning webs of desire and deceit. Motivated by revenge, lust and competitive impulses in turn, they find new victims in the persons of the young Cecile de Volanges and the virtuous Madame de Tourvel. But as the pair set about laying their traps, the web begins to tangle, and the players must reconsider who is manipulating whom.

"This is a production I saw in Paris which really excited me and a play I'm very fond of," said STC's Artistic Director Michael Kahn. "This is a very new and fresh and revelatory look at the play. John Malkovich's direction of it was true and yet radical; this is his own wonderful collaborative interpretation with a fine French cast. I'm glad to have Mr. Malkovich and his cast on the stage of the Lansburgh."

Laura Pels, Director of the Theatre de l'Atelier, was approached by Kahn about bringing the production stateside after he saw the production in Paris. "I am extremely pleased that Michael Kahn decided to bring this play to a new American audience and hope it will be received enthusiastically in Washington, D.C., as it was in Paris," Pels said.

Les Liaisons Dangereuses is part of the STC Presents Series which brings world class international productions to theatregoers in D.C. Kahn declared, "We intend to bring in the most innovative and highest quality of work. Our goal is to make sure we're presenting the best of many kinds of performances, the best of their fields, and I feel our STC Presents Series is just that."