Oklahoma Shakespeare's 'Venus in Fur' is a bawdy tale draped in mystery and myth

David Ives' "Venus in Furs" lives up to the title: A tantalizing tale draped in mythology and magical realism.

It's also a sexy, bawdy, laugh-out-loud comedy and a teasing mystery. It's a modern-day story of theater artists making theater that is drawn from the scandalous literary classic that helped usher in the term "masochism."

Even more than that, Oklahoma Shakespeare in the Park's production of the acclaimed 2010 two-person play is a showcase for powerhouse performances by two of the Oklahoma City metro area's top-notch actors: Amanda Lee and Matthew Alvin Brown.

Kathryn McGill, Oklahoma Shakespeare's executive and artistic director and co-founder, cannily chose Ives' Tony-nominated title as the first show to be staged in Oklahoma Shakespeare's newly revamped indoor theater in the Paseo Arts District. She also directs the prodigious production, with performances continuing through Aug. 13.

The extensive renovations have rendered the space more intimate and much more comfortable. The plush theater seats are a welcome upgrade, although the actors' gutsy turns will keep viewers on the edge of those cushy chairs.

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Arrogant playwright meets his match in enigmatic actress

Set in present-day New York, "Venus in Fur" centers on Thomas Novachek (Brown), the up-and-coming writer of a new play he has decided to direct himself. His provocative play-within-the-play is an adaptation Austrian author Leopold von Sacher-Masoch classic 1870 erotic novel "Venus in Furs," the book that inspired the term "masochism."

The show opens on a stormy evening as Thomas gripes on the phone to his fiancee about the poor showing of the actresses who have tried out that day to play his lead character, Vanda von Dunayev. It quickly becomes apparent that Thomas is arrogant, impatient and self-involved, a well-intentioned intelluctual blithely unaware of his own misogyny.

As he's about to head home after a long day of being let down by every woman who had the nerve to cross his path, an enigmatic newcomer — oddly enough, also named Vanda (Lee) - bursts in from out of the rain. She's hours late for her audition — although Thomas can't find her on the list — after a misadventure on a train.

She also seems the very embodiment of Thomas' just-finished lament: She's ditzy, brash and vulgar, she says she only skimmed the play on the train, and she's dressed for the period piece in a skimpy leather getup and a spiked dog collar.

But Vanda has a lovely vintage frock in her bag, and she proves quite persuasive. She gets Thomas to reluctantly agree not only to let her audition but also to read the part of the male lead, Severin von Kushemski, opposite her.

When she begins to play her part, Vanda suddenly transforms from a crass, drawling wannabe actress into a regal, beguiling and artistocratic lady with the perfect accent, bearing and turn of phrase.

Thomas is shocked and thrilled at Vanda's unlikely ability to instantly morph into a 19th-century seductress, and the sexual tension between them begins to crackle like the lightning flashing outside the studio windows.

As both Thomas and Vanda get caught up in the characters they are reading — in between fierce verbal bouts over the play's themes — the usual balance of power between man and woman and director and actor begins to shift.

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OKC production lives up to play's wide acclaim

After its celebrated 2010 premiere off-Broadway, "Venus in Fur" moved to Broadway for an acclaimed 2011-2012 run. It was nominated for best play at the 2012 Tony Awards, where Nina Arianda won best actress in a play for her turn in the female lead, a role she originated both on and off-Broadway.

Controversial filmmaker Roman Polanski adapted the title into a 2013 movie starring French actors Emmanuelle Seigner and Mathieu Amalric. But the OKC production puts his cinematic treatment to shame by skillfully teasing all the considerable humor out of Ives' story.

Lee and Brown have known each other for two decades, and under McGill's savvy direction, they distill that connection and chemistry into something truly special once the proverbial curtain goes up.

The creative team stylishly sets the stage without distracting from the electric performances. And the company deserves kudos for bringing in a violence and intimacy designer, University of Oklahoma assistant professor Kate Busselle, to help ensure the comfort and safety of the actors.

Norman-based Lee, who previously played Marie Antoinette in Oklahoma Shakespeare's 2018 production of Lauren Gunderson's French Revolution comedy “The Revolutionists," gives a fearless performance, pulling off Vanda's lightning-quick transformations with seemingly effortless ease.

A longtime Lyric Theatre mainstay, Brown only made his Oklahoma Shakespeare debut last year in "A Midsummer Night's Dream." But he's quickly established himself as an indispensable member of the classical company, with his skill at delivering dialogue and his expressive physicality.

With its abundant f-bombs and suggestive subject matter, "Venus in Fur" definitely isn't for children, and it may not be the right show for some grown-ups. But for theatergoers who are in the mood for a sizzling, uproarious show, Oklahoma Shakespeare is offering up a daring title that reveals a lot of truth, too.

'VENUS IN FUR'

When: Through Aug. 13.

Where: Oklahoma Shakespeare in the Park's black box theater, 2920 Paseo.

Tickets and information: https://www.okshakes.org.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma Shakespeare offers funny, bawdy 'Venus in Fur' in Paseo space