Playwright David Ives’ play “Venus in Fur”, is scheduled to become the most produced play in America during 2013-2014 according to American Theatre magazine that keeps track of such things.  I’m not surprised, having seen the Broadway production at the Samuel J. Friedman theatre in 2011, starring Nina Arianda and Hugh Dancy, with Arianda nabbing a 2012 Tony for Best Actress in a Play.

The vehicle is a perfect fit for Regional theatres and smaller professional houses.  The components for success are all present, ready and waiting: two characters, a dynamite script by a top-tier playwright, the subject of which delves into such highly charged issues as S&M, bondage, sex, domination, a whiff of infidelity, and the eternal battle between men and women for supremacy and power.  What more can a play ask for?   Now, all that is needed for theatres that will produce the play are two inspired actors and a brilliant director to pull the whole deal off.

San Diego Repertory Theatre’s co-founder and Artistic director Sam Woodhouse, along with co-director Kim Rubinstein, or should I say “Woodstein” (taking a page from “All the President’s Men”) have solved that worrisome little talent problem.  “Venus in Fur” is an actor’s play, and “Woodstein” has two inspired performers in Caroline Kinsolving and Jeffrey Meek whose stage chemistry is just down right palpable and electrifying.

The story revolves around Thomas Novachek, the writer/director of a new play, which he adapted from the 1870 novel “Venus in Furs” by Austrian author Leopold von Sacher-Masocher.   As the lights come up Thomas is on his cel phone talking to his girlfriend complaining about the shortcomings of all the actresses who showed up today to audition for the lead character of Wanda von Dunayev.  Suddenly we hear a banging door, which announces the arrival of an excitable, disorganized, new actress Vanda Jordon who has come to audition.  She embodies every quality and trait that Thomas abhors.  She is crude to a fault, needy, compliant, desperate, persistent, persuasive, and very talented.

She convinces him, however, to read through his entire play.  She will read Wanda, a character that combines both elegance and decadence, and he will read Severin von Kushemski, an aristocrat used to getting his own way.  During the course of this reading Vonda displays astonishing insights into the novel and her character, thus shifting the balance of power from the director to the actress.  It’s a triumph of the will.  Yes, but, for whom?  For Vanda? Thomas? Wanda? or, von Kushemski?  What a delicious dilemma to ponder.

One of the most appealing aspects of this “play within a play”, so to speak, as devised by brilliant playwright Ives is the opportunity it offers Kinsolving and Meek to dig deep into their sensual characters delivering absolutely deliciously nuanced and impressive performances.  It’s a delight to watch two professionals go at it with intelligence and gusto, as each seeks to validate their power.  No wonder the play and performances resonate with audiences everywhere.  Men and women have been having this battle since Adam and Eve.

In the technical department co-directors Woodhouse and Rubinstein have elected to stage the play in the round.   It’s a bold decision by “Woodstein” as this staging motif is one that can really challenge actors.  In the round actors are “all alone and naked”. There is no hiding behind a proscenium or set pieces. The performance requires total concentration once the lights come up.  In this “Venus in Fur” production, the highly charged on stage action fairly crackles with electricity generated by these two splendid actors.  Comparisons are always odious at best, but I wouldn’t exchange these two actors for any that have performed the roles.

The creative team for the production led by Woodhouse and Rubinstein features a minimalist set design by Robin Sanford Roberts that provides maximum space for the actors to create their magic.  The lighting design by Lonnie Rafael Alcaraz allows the costumes designed by Jennifer Sanford Roberts to be seen.  It’s a very impressive production, indeed.

“Venus in Fur” runs at San Diego Repertory’s Lyceum stage at Horton Plaza through December 8, 2013.

Playwright Paul Rudnick, the darling of Off-Broadway and on occasion, Broadway, is considered a satirical playwright who loves to poke fun at society’s sacred cows and WASPY values.  Needless to say, his 1998 comic-spoof on the bible’s Adam and Eve story entitled “The Most Fabulous Story Ever Told”, would not be very popular at an Evangelical or Southern Baptist convention.

The play features the characters of the bible as gay.  Instead of Adam and Eve, the first two humans on the planet, we are introduced to gay men, Adam and Steve, who bump into Jane (Cain) and Mabel (Abel) a lesbian couple in the Garden of Eden.  From there, the story unfolds into selected sections of the bible leading our intrepid company of characters to explore the ideas of family, love, faith, and the spiritual universe, ultimately arriving in the present in New York City.

It may be somewhat funny at times and the actors are working hard to breathe life into a less than stellar plot line, but “The Most Fabulous Story Ever Told” directed by the usually reliable Jim Strait, fails to engage on a couple of levels.  Perhaps, it was a case of the opening night jitters, but the uneven performances by the off-pace cast, with a word or two dropped here and there, struggled in their efforts to right the ship. Try as they may the story and the dialogue are not up to the standards of a Broadway playwright and tend to sink the ship as it steams out of port.

Wendy Cohen (Jane), a talented actor, director, playwright, costumer, and all-round accomplished theatre person is wasted in this vehicle.  Mark Demry (the latecomer, Pharoah, Trey, etc.) has some moments as he tosses one-liners and zingers, Ryan Dominguez (Adam), is exceptionally one dimensional in portraying the first man on earth, Terry Huber (Stage Manager) announces every light cue in the play to the audience.  After the first seven or eight light cues, we “get” the convention – there’s really no need to hear them all night long.  Huber is another talented actor who deserves a better vehicle.

Jeremy Johnson (Fr. Markham, Brad, Kevin, etc.); Phylicia Mason; Timothy McGivney (Steve); Tony Milano (Miriam, Babe, Rabbi Sharon, etc.); and Lorraine Williamson (Mabel) complete the cast.

In the technical department, Strait directs, does the scenic designs and projections, and the sound design.  Phil Murphy a top professional lighting designer whose work is seen by many theatres throughout the Coachella Valley, delivers on the biblical command of let there be light!  On a somewhat sad note, costume designer extraordinaire Peter Mins, announced he is hanging up his needle, thread, and designing pad after fifty years in the theatre business.  Thank you, Peter for your many creative and wonderful costume designs over the years.  You will be greatly missed.

“The Most Fabulous Story Ever Told”, produced by Paul Taylor, runs throughDecember 22nd at the Desert Rose Playhouse, in Rancho Mirage.  The Desert Rose Playhouse productions serve the Coachella Valley LGBT community.

Television and screenwriters like Reginald Rose, Paddy Chayefsky, and Rod Serling were the people’s playwrights during the golden age of American television – the 1950’s and ‘60’s.  These writers were in the vanguard of what would later be labeled as the “kitchen sink” school of television writing and programming.  They had the gift of capturing dialogue in the vernacular of the common man.  Their stories and style became a staple of TV fare during the early days of live television.

“12 Angry Men” debuted in 1954 on a weekly TV show called “Studio One”. Rose’s splendidly crafted script has since been produced by hundreds of Regional and community theatres all across the country.   It’s a timeless story that still resonates with audiences  – fifty-nine years later.

The play in short, is set in  “Then… and Now” (so labeled because America’s racial history has changed very little from back then to now) and revolves around a 12-man jury deliberating a murder case in which a young black teenager is accused of killing his abusive father.  Eleven jurors are convinced the young man is guilty based on seemingly overwhelming evidence presented by the prosecution.   The twelfth juror, however, has no doubt as to the boy’s innocence.  The meat and power of the play’s resolution comes down to how one juror convinces the other eleven that his “not guilty” position is the just and correct verdict the remaining eleven must come to realize as well, and render a unanimous “not guilty” verdict.

Epps is a director with a strong personal vision, and he’s been on the mark, more times than he’s missed it.  In selecting “12 Angry Men”, a play with twelve white characters, He challenges the audience to accept six black actors playing roles written for white characters.  With a tweak here and a word or phrase there, he pulls off the effort without destroying the dramatic intentions of playwright Rose.  Not an easy feat.  In the case of this revival Epps asks us to accept the relevance that his more modern version presents.  Besides, American society of the 21st Century looks a lot more like the jury we see on the stage. The larger question then becomes… have we as a society learned anything about racial inequality from “Then…and Now”?

The passion and frustration of these twelve men trying to do their job is not diminished a wit be they black or white.  They still must face the reality of their personal biases and prejudices.   The beauty of Rose’s iconic social-drama script is in the rich density and insight of the writing, which greatly benefits from Epps’ deft direction.  He gets an A+ for his creative staging and traffic-management skills.  Actors love to get their teeth, talent, and intelligence into such scripts and productions and then let ‘er rip.  It’s exciting stuff to watch

This production is a true ensemble effort. Everyone stays on stage.  No one leaves until the stunning Act One curtain comes down and the actors are seen frozen in a tableau worthy of a scene from The Pageant of the Masters.   Having said that, there are always parts that are more inherently showy which allow for more shading and nuance to be added to the entire tapestry.  And that’s the case here: Juror Eight (Jason George) has the lead role as the holdout juror who must convince the rest.  It’s a fine performance among many.  Juror Three (Gregory North) a bull of a man, plays the volatile heavy in the play; seething with latent racism and ultimately exploding in a confrontation with his fellow jurors.  The Foreman (Scott Lowell) does his best to keep the proceedings moving along, and at the same time referee the discussions between the jurors.  Juror Ten (Bradford Tatum) is a tattooed, rough looking dude who looks and acts like he would rather be riding his Harley instead of being sequestered in a jury room discussing the fate of some young black teenager.

Nice turns also come from: Juror Four (Robert Picardo); Juror Two (Jeff Williams); Juror Five (Jacques C. Smith); Juror Six (Ellis E. Williams); Juror Eleven (Clinton Derricks-Carroll; Juror Seven (Barry Pearl); Juror Twelve (Adam J. Smith); and the familiar face of Juror Nine (Adolphus Ward), a Desert Theatre League award winning actor of a few years back (Palm Springs and the desert is home base for me).

America can be a violent country at times.  We are constantly seeking ways to escape the grip of society’s dark side.  Just as Americans are wrestling today with the violence in our streets, schools, and in our homes, the jurors on stage at the Pasadena Playhouse, as well, have their work cut out for them every time the curtain goes up.

“12 Angry Men” is a polished revival that needs to be seen.  The play runs through December 1, 2013.