An audition takes an interesting turn in Venus in Fur, a power exchange masterclass with splashes of foot worshipping and diabolic feminism.
Thomas Novachek (Bryan McKinley) is adapting Venus in Furs, the famous novella by Leopold von Sacher-Masoch. Thomas is exhausted from auditioning mediocre actresses all day. He is about to leave when Wanda Jordan (Rachael Meyers) storms into the audition room, late, and without an appointment. Thomas refuses to audition Wanda. She refuses to leave. A perfect recipe for a chemical reaction.
Playwright David Ives delves into the psychological aspects of female domination and male submission, taking from the original Sacher-Masoch’s novella and giving an updated meaning to the story and the characters. Using an unpredictable female character, Ives develops a mirror image of Wanda von Dunajew, but with a twist. Ives’ Wanda is apparently less cultivated. However, as the story unfolds, this updated Wanda becomes more of an enigmatic figure with an increasingly darker side.
The dynamics between the two characters intensify as they continue to read the script. Thomas’ initial hesitation gives way to an unexpected attraction. Wanda might seem to lack sophistication, but when she gets into character, she becomes a devilish sadist, an irresistible goddess. Too much for poor Thomas to resist.
Ives’ play is witty and fast-paced. Meyers and McKinley get the best out of the dialogue, exploring brilliantly the sexual tension and the surrender to one’s primal desires, a mystic and powerful element of the BDSM experience. Venus in Fur is another win for Meyers and McKinley, a couple recently seen in Let Me In, a dark comedy play about grief.
With a basic stage design, Director Amir Korangy achieves an attractive and professional production, a serious contender for this year’s awards. Korangy’s creativity sets a high bar for the rest of the productions; a reminder that all you need is a great script, solid performances, and excellent direction to stage a great show.
Pain and degradation are more fun when you add to the mix a mysterious woman, a susceptible man, and an invocation to Aphrodite, with unexpected consequences.
Venus in Fur
The Broadwater (Main Stage)
1076 Lillian Way
Los Angeles, CA 90038
Saturday, June 7, 2025, at 8:30 PM.
Sunday, June 15, 2025, at 10:30 PM.
Tuesday, June 24, 2025, at 6:30 PM.
Tickets: hollywoodfringe.org/projects/11657?tab=tickets
Written by David Ives
Directed by Amir Korangy
Produced by Rachael Meyers and Bryan McKinley
Cast: Rachael Meyers and Bryan McKinley
