The Hippodrome Presents "Venus in Fur"

Last weekend I went to see the play Venus in Fur by David Ives at the Hippodrome Theatre in downtown Gainesville.  I wasn’t sure what to expect, since this was the first show I was going to see at the Hipp, but I was very excited.  Turns out, that excitement was totally justified, and the show was phenomenal.

Venus in Fur is about an actress, Vanda, auditioning for a role in the play Venus in Furs.  She is auditioning for the writer and director of the play, Thomas.  The play is a 90-minute-long dialogue between the two actors, with no intermission, but from start to end, it hardly feels as though any time has passed.  The play has its funny moments, as well as some very intense moments.  The plot builds as the play goes on, growing more and more intense.  Its engrossing story line keeps the audience on the edges of their seats from start to finish.

Since this play is only a two-person cast, those two people have to be very talented actors.  Their attention can’t waver for a moment, as because all eyes are on them at all times.  There are no places for them to stop and recollect themselves, so they must have rock solid characters, and these two performers definitely delivered.

Lauren Nordvig was stunning as Vanda, the artsy, talented actress auditioning for the role.  She did very well transitioning between her two characters- Vanda, and the woman in the play within the play.  As the play goes on, the power shifts from the director to the actress, and Vanda’s character changes dramatically.  Nordvig’s transition was obvious, yet gradual, making it clear that that Vanda’s dominance was more than just the character in Thomas’s play, but dominance over Thomas himself.

Tim Altmeyer shone as Thomas, the playwright who is directing his own show.  Desperate to find an actress for his play, he agrees to let Vanda read at the last minute.  Thomas changes drastically throughout the play as well, and Altmeyer played his character wonderfully, making it seem as though he were unaware of the shift in power as the play goes on.

The play also had a very cool set.  It was a thrust stage, so there was audience around three side of the stage, and although the set was simple, it was very well-built.  The lighting for the show was also really interesting because Vanda made sure to change the lighting and “set the mood” whenever she and Thomas were reading from his play. It really helped to differentiate between when Nordvig and Altmeyer were Vanda and Thomas as opposed to the characters in Thomas’s play.

Overall, the Hipp did a brilliant job with this production.  Not only was the script engaging, but the cast was also phenomenal, and the set and lighting were both excellent.  I hope to see more shows put on, like the upcoming King o’ the Moon!