Masochism for the masses at Lower East Side performance

New York City is like a superstore of startling proportions. Every district is a department, every street an aisle, all teeming with opportunities and activities to suit every taste. But as college students (read: generally poor and sleep-deprived) we can rarely afford the luxury of browsing the superstore’s wares to find a pastime that perfectly fits our tastes.

Allow me to be your guide.

I will travel to the ends of the earth (that is, outside Morningside Heights) to bring you the best of NYC entertainment—reports of popular, well-publicized events that cater to mainstream tastes; reviews of exotic, escapist activities for those seeking the fanciful; and news of strange, obscure, or outright bizarre affairs for those with unconventional affinities (or perhaps the under-indulged curiosity in all of us). In other words, I bring you the fun, the fantastical, and the freakish. This week, I’ll delve into what some might deem the freakish.
On Tuesday, the first day of spring semester, most students dutifully attended a slew of classes, then perhaps spent the evening chatting with friends, getting an early start on an already-accumulating pile of homework, or simply relaxing and relishing that fleeting beginning-of-semester calm before the storm.

However, I spent my Tuesday enjoying a play about masochism. Sitting in a cozy third row seat in the Classic Stage Company’s intimate Lower East Side theater, I watched actor Wes Bentley (from “American Beauty”) and Juilliard-trained Nina Arianda alternately taunt, tantalize, and torment one another for approximately 90 minutes in “Venus in Fur.” An evening well spent.

Inspired by the 1870 novella “Venus in Furs” by Austrian author Leopold von Sacher-Masoch—the word “masochism” was derived from his surname—the performance is a play within a play (very meta, I know). Beginning with a bang (quite literally—the curtain drops to the ground with a clap of thunder and a flash of lightning), the play centers on Thomas (Bentley), a playwright/director who has written an adapted stage play of Sacher-Masoch’s novella, and Wanda (Arianda), an actress auditioning for the female protagonist role. After a long and fruitless day of auditions, Thomas, disheartened, readies to leave his office and return home to his fiancée. As he prepares to depart, Wanda—a loud, crass, seemingly untalented woman—rushes in, dressed in a ludicrous outfit (a cross between prostitute and dominatrix) spewing apologies and explanations for arriving late. She convinces an initially unwilling Thomas to allow her to audition, and Thomas, as well as the audience, is quickly surprised by Wanda’s transformation from gauche to graceful. As the audition proceeds, the sexual electricity between Thomas and Wanda surges, power plays ensue, and the line between what is real and what isn’t vanishes. By performance’s end, the audience’s initial ideas about the respective natures of Thomas and Wanda and what each individual represents are upended, and provocative questions about power, femininity, masculinity, and control linger.

Without spoiling the show, I can tell you that the usual implements one imagines when thinking of masochism or sadomasochism—whips, chains, and other frightening devices—don’t make an appearance in this play. Though unquestionably erotic, the performance is tasteful and stimulates the intellect more than the nether regions. In fact, most audiences will likely relate to the themes of love, power, and pain that permeate the piece. The play suggests that pain and love are inextricably interconnected, a fact that most of us—even those who don’t engage in S&M—can attest to.
Lastly, Columbians will get a kick out of the many references to Greek literature and mythology. Dionysus, the Bacchae, Helen, and most importantly, Venus, make prominent appearances in the performance. The legacy of Lit Hum lives on.

Surprisingly, strands of the Columbia core often appear outside the University’s gates in fun, fantastical, and freakish ways—perhaps we’re getting our money’s worth after all. Stay tuned.

The Classic Stage Company is located at 136 E. 13th Street. David Ives’ “Venus in Fur” runs through Feb. 21, 2010. Tickets cost $60.