Texas Public Radio feature: Venus in Fur by David Ives, Playhouse San Antonio, January 24 - February 9, 2014

in San Antonio

'Venus In Fur,' The Playhouse's Sexy And Cerebral Show That's Not For The Kids


by Jack Morgan

Click to listen to audio version at Texas Public Radio

The Playhouse is about to begin a play that is raising a few eyebrows because of what the play is about.


"'Venus in Fur' is a play adaptation by David Ives of the novel published first in German in 1870 by Leopold von Sacher-Masoch," said John O’Neil, who directs the production.


But there’s no getting around it, the show is about sex.


"Sexy, erotic, sensuous, but not trashy, if that makes any sense," O’Neil said.


And while eros plays a real role here, there’s no nudity in the play. But O'Neil did say there is plenty of humor.


"I think it’s incredibly funny," he said. "So you have this modern comedy set within the confines of this 1870 very serious, very, almost melodramatic novel. I think the play asks has that much really changed in sexual politics or how we wield power in any two-person relationship."


It’s a play-within-a-play, wherein its two cast members play a total of six characters. O'Neil raves about his actors.


"I’m sorry if I can’t rave enough about Michael Holly and Kaycie Griffin," he said. "I fell in love with both of them at auditions and I love them even more now because they are two excellent actors who really get the essence."


From his description, there’s a lot going on and a much of that isn’t so much physical as mental. And O’Neil’s throws in this tantalizing tidbit of info:


"And at the end of the play there is a victor…but I think I’ll withhold that."


That and Lou Reed’s connection to the play will only be revealed by going.

Texas Public Radio Profiles Woodlawn Theatre's 'Next to Normal' in San Antonio

Texas Public Radio publishes the transcription of its three-minute feature on Next to Normal, playing July 13 - 29 at the Woodlawn Theatre in San Antonio:

"Next To Normal" is a Pulitzer Prize winning play showing at the Woodlawn Theater, “which is absolutely fantastic that a musical would win the Pulitzer Prize for a drama," said Woodlawn's Robby Vance. "This show is incredibly well written, it obviously covers a gamut of emotions, it covers a broad range of various interactions and relationships that we have as families and family structures.”

(image: Woodlawn Theatre via www.tpr.org)

Vance said it is a provocative script. It’s the story of a woman whose mental disorders seem to be getting worse, and of her family who struggle to cope.

“In this case it’s a young woman who is diagnosed as bi-polar," said Artistic Director Greg Hinojosa, "which eventually leads to schizophrenia, suicide attempts. She goes through shock therapy. So she goes through a number of different treatments that seem to be helping her but what we see in this show is how it affects her husband, her younger daughter and certainly the relationships she has with both of her doctors.”

The show has been called “brave” and “breathtaking.” And it proved to be a great opportunity to expand the theater’s mission.

“Our goal is to increase our visibility to the city in terms of a theatre company that produces not only quality work, but work that’s going to be thought provoking and educational” said Hinojosa.

The Woodlawn partnered Next to Normal with the San Antonio State Hospital. Its cast went to the hospital and served as volunteers. At the Sunday matinee, the theater offered a chance for audience members to become more educated about mental illness, thanks to Dr. Kathleen Stanley, a clinical psychiatrist at the hospital, who stayed for over an hour after the show to answer audience questions.

“About how to seek treatment for family members and loved ones who they suspect might have problems with mental illness or what do you do if you have somebody in your family who is per chance being belligerent and you know that they need to seek treatment but they refuse.”

Click to read more and hear the feature at www.tpr.org