LTVB’s LES LIAISONS DANGEREUSES IS

 BEAUTIFUL, BUT MISMATCHED

Theater Babe Says:  Go . . . to See the Dangers of Deceit – and a Fabulous Duel

The production of Les Liaisons Dangereuses at the Little Theatre of Virginia Beach is visually stunning.  The clever set by Jason Martens is elegant and exquisite, using the same elements in different configurations to create eight credibly different venues – not a simple task on such a small stage.  The costumes by designer Kay Burcher and her crew (Karen Buchheim, Kathy Hinson, Kyra Hinson, Donna Kirsch, Mary Lou Mahlman, Abbey Ortiz, Marie Vesely and Bob Weaver) are gorgeous and embrace the enormous challenge of convincing us that we are viewing the fashionable crowd in late 18^th century France.  The women’s dresses are the focal point of the costume plot, and Ms. Burcher does a commendable job of reinforcing each actor’s character through her unique style; one dress, a striking black figured print, was so exceptional that it received a well-deserved gasp of appreciation from the audience.  Because the performances are not as uniformly outstanding as the scenic and costume design, however, this production is not entirely successful.

Les Liaisons Dangereuses is the story of La Marquise de Merteuil and Le Vicomte de Valmont, two aristocrats in pre-revolutionary France who engage in complicated romantic intrigues largely for their own amusement.  They wager whether Valmont, a jaded Lothario, will succeed in seducing Mme. de Tourvel, a happily married woman renowned for her fidelity.  The tale tells the lengths to which Valmont will go to win the wager, the various sensual maneuverings of the key players, their underlying motivations and the impact their actions have on the other characters.

Director Robin Chapman presents a well-blocked production that demonstrates some interesting and effective choices, including use of a late 20^th century song played in a chamber-music style that calls the haunting lyrics to mind while maintaining the time period of the play itself.  With a notable exception, however, Mr. Chapman’s cast fails to explore the nuances of the characters so the piece as a whole lacks the tension critical to making these liaisons truly dangerous.

The exception is Ann Heywood’s superb depiction of La Marquise de Merteuil.  Ms. Heywood’s Marquise is at once charming, jealous, whimsical, calculating and deadly earnest.  Ms. Heywood’s performance perfectly captures the sophisticated formality of the period without ever stepping over that fine line into stiltedness.  But as fascinating as she is when she delivers her lines, Ms. Heywood is almost better when she reacts to the other actors; whenever she is onstage, she commands attention without overshadowing her fellow performers.  Because of Ms. Heywood’s compelling and believable performance, we are interested in and intrigued by her Marquise even though there is little to like about the character.

As Le Vicomte de Valmont, Phillip Martin utilizes his rich, round speaking voice to excellent effect; we believe women could be wooed by his beautiful voice alone.  Overall, however, Mr. Martin’s Valmont is just too likeable.  Because we never really believe this Valmont is evil enough to carelessly use and heartlessly discard women, the tension inherent in the script’s depiction of a ruthless libertine developing genuine feelings for a good woman is absent from this production and the question of whether Valmont is truly captivated by Mme. de Tourvel or whether it is merely an act is barely noticeable.  As a result, Valmont’s climactic scene with Mme. de Tourvel lacks credibility and the Marquise’s subsequent hideous revelations are devoid of the passionate impact that would exist if we truly believed that Valmont was capable of such perfidy. 

Leigh Strenger delivers a satisfactory performance as Mme. de Tourvel.  We believe that she is a steadfast wife, but her scenes with Valmont are devoid of any palpable chemistry.  We therefore do not feel the conflict that Mme. de Tourvel possesses as she discovers perhaps for the first time that faithfulness is a choice, and we do not believe that she so craves the Vicomte that she would be willing to sacrifice everything to accede to her overwhelming desire for him.  Because that tension is not present in Ms. Strenger’s performance, her final frenzy, while vehement, lacks context and credibility.  A stronger lighting design would have helped to reinforce the passion and conflict that in this production is not endemic to Mme. de Tourvel’s scenes with Valmont.

Alina Carson is pretty with a graceful stage presence and her portrayal of the ingénue, Cecile Volanges, is fresh and demure.  Her reaction to Valmont’s seduction, however, is inconsistent with a woman of that time period and that discrepancy adds to the lack of tension in this production.  In an age where a young, female aristocrat’s most prized possession was her innocence that was expected to exist upon her marriage – and created a huge scandal if it did not – this Cecile’s response is implausibly muted.  Instead Cecile seems merely confused by the encounter in a way that a 21^st century teenager might feel if she was inexplicably romanced by a much older man, rather than encompassing the shame and very real fear of social ostracism that would be much more typical of the time period.  As a result, the Marquise’s shocking advice to enjoy the affair and acquire skills to use on other men lacks resonance, and, through no fault of Ms. Heywood’s performance, an opportunity to more fully understand the complexity of the Marquise’s personality is not incorporated into this production.

Part of the problem is that the context is not well defined in the opening scene.  The majority of the exposition that establishes the social mores of the time is carried by Cecile’s mother, Mme. de Volanges, played here by Mary Lou Mahlman.  Ms. Mahlman’s characterization is more reminiscent of an American Southern nosy neighbor than of a refined European 18^th century matriarch, and her folksy charm is a jarring discord against the formal mannerisms of the period.  This Mme. de Volanges does not convey the strict social customs that were demanded at that time, and the failure to credibly present the appropriate milieu has a deleterious impact upon the production as a whole.

Because of their potential for melodrama, stage fights are notoriously difficult to present and perform, but the duel between Valmont and the Marquise’s young lover, Danceny, portrayed by Roger Bisaillon, is one of this show’s best moments.  Choreographed by Christopher Bernhardt, the fight is well-staged and entertaining, plausibly executed by Mr. Martin and Mr. Bisaillon, and it credibly forwards the drama without becoming belabored by it.

Bottom line?  There are some wonderful elements in LTVB’s production of Les Liaisons Dangereuses, including the beautiful sets and costumes and Ms. Heywood’s accomplished performance, and if the production as a whole is uneven, it is still worth the time and the ticket price.

 

Performances run thru June 9^th, Friday – Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2:30 p.m.

at the Little Theatre of Virginia Beach,

550 Barberton Drive, Virginia Beach, Virginia 23451.

Tickets are $17 ($14 for matinees) with discounts for seniors, students and active military. 

Reservations can be obtained by calling the box office at (757) 428-9233

or online at ltvb.com.