David Ives’ “Venus In Fur” Kicking Off Three-Week East End Run

Venus in Fur, the Hampton Theatre Company’s second play of its 2017-2018 season, will make its debut at Quogue Community Hall on Thursday, January 11. The two-person play, set in New York City, was first produced off-Broadway in 2010 and is an adaptation of the 1870 novella, Venus in Furs, by Leopold von Sacher-Masoch (who inspired the term sado-masochism).

The David Ives play tells the story of a playwright and director, Thomas, played by Tristan Vaughan, who is desperate to find the female lead for his adaptation of Sacher-Masoch’s novella. Thomas is tired and discouraged after a day of auditions when a struggling actress named Vanda, played by Tina Jones, storms onto the set demanding a chance to audition.

Vanda and Thomas adopt the roles of the novel’s actress and director, and soon find the lines between reality and the story blurring as they play a game of submission and domination. Vanda becomes the Venus figure of Sacher-Masoch’s novel as Thomas grows infatuated and powerless to her demands.

“Venus in Fur is a wild examination of the relationships between actor and director, the dominant and submissive, and men and women,” says Terry Brennan, General Manager of the Hampton Theatre Company. The play explores themes of sado-masochism and female dominance through Thomas and Vanda’s power struggle.

Ives is an American playwright and novelist who is best known for his comic one-act plays. His body of work includes musicals, comedies, original productions, and revivals. His Broadway production of Venus in Fur was a great success and has since been produced elsewhere throughout New York, Australia, Toronto, Lebanon, and London’s West End. Hampton Theatre Company’s production is directed by Diana Marbury, with set design by Sean Marbury, lighting by Sebastian Paczynski, and costumes by Teresa Lebrun.

The Hampton Theatre Company and the Quogue Club will offer a special lunch and theatre package for the Saturday matinee. Additionally, special dinner and theatre packages are available to purchase with the Westhampton, Southampton, Hampton Bays, and Quogue libraries.

Venus in Fur will show through Sunday, January 28. There will be 7 p.m. showings on Thursdays and Fridays, 8 p.m. performances on Saturdays, and a 2:30 p.m. matinee on Sundays. There will also be an additional matinee on Saturday, January 27 at 2:30 p.m. Tickets are $10 for students, $20 for those under 35-years-old and theater industry members and veterans, $25 for seniors (65-years-old and older – except Saturday evenings), and $30 for adults (ages 35-years-old to 64-years-old).

Quogue Community Hall is located at 125 Jessup Avenue in Quogue. For more information or to purchase tickets, please visit www.hamptontheatre.org or call 1-866-811-4111.