Review: VENUS IN FUR at The Hive Collaborative

The Hive Collaborative’s production of David Ives’s Venus in Fur takes a simple audition and turns it into something much more complicated. What begins with a director meeting an actress quickly becomes a back-and-forth struggle over power, control and who is really running the show.

Directed by Michelle O’Neill, the production stars Hope Nordquist as Vanda and Kyle Weiler as Thomas. With just two actors, there is a lot riding on their performances. The entire play depends on their interaction, and the two keep things moving as the relationship between their characters continues to change.

Thomas is a director holding auditions for his adaptation of Venus in Furs. Vanda arrives to audition for the part, but she is not what Thomas was expecting. Once she starts reading, though, it becomes clear that she knows exactly what she is doing.

The audition soon turns into something neither character seems to have expected. Vanda and Thomas move back and forth between playing the characters in the script and simply being themselves. At times, it is difficult to tell which is which, and that is part of what makes the play so interesting.

There is plenty of humor, but the play also deals with some uncomfortable subjects. Power and control are constantly shifting between Vanda and Thomas, and the person who appears to be in control can suddenly lose it. The audience is left trying to figure out what is genuine and what is part of the performance.

Nordquist and Weiler have a lot to handle with only two people onstage for the entire 90-minute production. Their chemistry and timing are important to keeping the show engaging, especially as the relationship between their characters becomes increasingly complicated.

The production's creative team includes dialect coach Isa Condo-Olvera, lighting designer Tracy V. Joe, and Quinn Masterson, who serves as both stage manager and sound designer.

Venus in Fur is a play that keeps the audience guessing. It starts as an audition, but by the end, it has become a much bigger question about acting, relationships and who has the power to control the situation.

The Hive Collaborative’s production gives audiences a chance to see this Tony-nominated play in an intimate two-person production. It is funny, provocative and at times uncomfortable, and it gives you plenty to think about once the show is over.

All photos by Junia Morrow