VENUS IN FUR Concludes Geva's 2013 Fielding Nextstage Season, Beginning 5/16

Geva Theatre Center's 2013 Fielding Nextstage Season concludes with Venus in Fur, by David Ives. Directed by Aimée Hayes, the production begins performances on May 16 and runs in the Fielding Nextstage through June 2.

Vanda, an unusually talented young actress is determined to land the lead role in a new play based on the classic erotic novel, Venus in Fur. Vanda's emotionally charged audition for Thomas - the gifted, but demanding playwright/director - becomes an electrifying game of cat and mouse that blurs the lines between fantasy and reality, seduction and power, love and sex.

David Ives is perhaps best known for his evening of one-act plays, All in the Timing (he has been included in the "Best Short Plays" series seven times), and for his drama Venus in Fur, which was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Play. His plays include New Jerusalem: The Interrogation of Baruch de Spinoza; The School for Lies (adapted from Molière's The Misanthrope); The Liar (adapted from Corneille); Time Flies; and Is He Dead? (adapted from Mark Twain). He has also translated Feydeau's A Flea in Her Ear and Yasmina Reza's A Spanish Play. A former Guggenheim Fellow in playwriting and a graduate of Yale School of Drama, he lives in New York City.

Venus in Fur had its Off-Broadway premiere in 2010. In 2011, it opened on Broadway where it ran through July 2012. The production, starring Hugh Dancy and Nina Arianda, received two Tony Award nominations, including one for Best Play. A film version of the play in French, directed by Roman Polanski, will premiere at next month's Cannes Film Festival.

"The sexy comic interplay between the two leads makes for a titillating evening at the theatre," commented director Aimée Hayes. "The 30-second description of Venus in Fur is that it's 'The Thinking Woman's Fifty Shades of Grey' - and if you've read or heard about those books - you won't want to miss this production."

This sexual roundelay about power and powerlessness, dominance and submission comes to Rochester from Southern Rep in New Orleans, where it opened in January to enthusiastic audiences and rave reviews. Todd d'Amour as Thomas and Veronica Russell as Vanda make their Geva Theatre Center debuts. Venus in Fur is directed by Aimée Hayes and the creative team includes Matthew Reinert (Scenic and Lighting Design), Joan Long (Costume Design) and Mike Harkins (Sound Design).