David Ives
Staged reading
Thomas Novachek, an up-and-coming director/playwright, has suffered through a long day of abysmal auditions for his adaptation of the 1970 Austrian novel Venus in Fur by Leopold von Sacher-Masoch (after whom the term “masochism” was coined), until Vanda, a crass, seemingly clueless and pushy actress, stumbles into his audition room. While Vanda shares the lead character’s name, she lacks her sophistication. However, when Thomas agrees to let Vanda read for the role, she displays a deep understanding of the material and develops a strange command over the text, characters and their maker.
As the lines between actor and character, fantasy and real life, reading and play become blurred, the two enter an increasingly serious game of submission and domination that only one of them can win. David Ives’ mesmerizing play explores themes of submission, domination, power and gender with a fast-paced, mutable language he is known for.
Director Anne Simon and her team - who present this staged reading in the context of their production of Anthony Neilson’s The Censor at Kinneksbond, Mamer - will fully play with the form of the staged reading to further muddle who’s on top and shed an unsettling look at the art of acting and role-play - onstage and off.
The Censor by Anthony Neilson is on at Kinneksbond Mamer on May 20th, 23rd and 24th at 8pm (www.kinneksbond.lu)
