A Spooky Sex Comedy Coming to Quogue

When David Ives’s play “Venus in Fur” opened on Broadway in 2011, Charles Isherwood of The New York Times called it a “spooky sex comedy” and “a suspense-packed study of the erotics (and the semiotics) of power.” 

Considering that the play’s two characters are Thomas, a writer-director adapting Leopold von Sacher-Masoch’s 1870 novel “Venus in Furs,” and Vanda, an actress auditioning for the title role, the production’s three-week engagement starting next Thursday at the Hampton Theatre Company in Quogue could hardly be timelier. 

The play opens with Thomas (Tristan Vaughan) unable to find a suitable actress for the part of the sophisticated 19th-century dominatrix after a long day of casting. Vanda (Tina Jones) arrives late, vulgar and desperate and seemingly wrong for the part, but Thomas agrees to read through the play with her — without requesting either a massage or a shower.

Unlike some of the director and actress interactions flooding today’s news, the two characters in “Venus in Fur” are evenly matched, with the actress, like the character in Sacher-Masoch’s novel, ultimately establishing her dominance over the director. 

The production is directed by Diana Marbury, with sets designed by Sean Marbury, lighting by Sebastian Paczynski, and costumes by Teresa Lebrun. Performances will take place through Jan. 28 on Thursdays and Fridays at 7 p.m., Saturdays at 8, and Sundays at 2:30, with an extra matinee on Jan. 27. Tickets are $30, $25 for senior citizens, $20 for those under 35, and $10 for students. Lunch-theater and dinner-theater packages will also be offered, with information available on the theater’s website.