Lust for Love Dominates in 'Venus in Fur'

While some relationships are built around who wears the pants, Venus in Fur asks who takes off the pants and has the whips, chains and handcuff collection.

The play at the Historic Asolo Theater rips through with high energy in an hour and 45 minutes exploring the tale of a flighty actress on an audition for a play in front of the playwright. That play within this play is an adaptation of Leopold von Sacher-Masoch's 1870 novel Venus in Fur, containing plenty of sexual themes. Heck, this is where masochism comes from, as the characters explain, so you know you're in for a ride. 

Sarah Nealis plays Vanda, dropping more F bombs in her opening scene than a Scarface scene, as she is flustered that she is late for her audition, but the character settles into a flirty, funny and dynamic woman. 

Vanda convinces Thomas, played by Scott Kerns, to give her a chance to go through a reading of the script. Thomas is looking for that perfect actress that has power, maturity and class but is still in her twenties. 

Vanda suddenly transforms into a powerful woman, Vonda from Venus in Fur, pouring out measured words, turning romance and the pursuit of sex and domination into a game. In between the audition itself, Vanda provides her commentary on the writing of Venus in Furs, while psychoanalyzing Thomas and the characters he adapted. Nealis' execution of balancing the two, is a bit of a mix of two other famous redheads—Emma Stone and Kathy Lee. (More of Today show-wine induced Kathy Lee and not as much Live! With Kathy Lee).

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Vanda, dressed in a dominatrix outfit, continues to inquire if Thomas, is projecting his relationship problems with Stacey into his characters—what is he missing? 

It's a little bit of "the game's afoot" when it comes to Vanda and Thomas seeing who can get the upper hand, exploring the confusing signs of love and how sex can sometimes be not as straightforward. But it's the talking, the discussion of what to do and who's in charge that gets a rise out of Thomas through Vanda (or the German mistress, too), where it almost feels like the old Hot Tub Lovers bit with Will Ferrell and Rachel Dratch on SNL. When someone calls this an erotic thriller, this is much more tame than Fifty Shades of Grey.

Thomas continues to have outbursts of anger at Vanda for her talent, yet lack of a brain as he sees it, and her trying to screw things up, but this back-and-forth is worth to watch to see who really is on top. Figuratively, of course.

The play is definitely best for 16 and up with the language and the sexual themes, but while the characters emotionally strip, you won't have to cover your teen's eyes. 

The conversations are at times frank, but the play within the play explores the high society discussion of sex and domination, with poetically composed phrases, which you won't exactly find in Rihanna's S&M.

Venus in Fur isn't pain for pleasure for the audience as the actors provide a thrilling performance. Nobody is going to have to handcuff you to the chair.

Venus in Fur

Historic Asolo Theater (inside Ringling Museum of Art's Visitor Pavilion)

Tickets $20 to $40; Call 941-351-8000 or purchase online at www.asolorep.org.

Performances: 

2 p.m. April 14, 17, 18, 21, 24, 28

7:30 p.m. April 16, 23

8 p.m. April 12, 13, 17, 19, 20, 24-27