Allison F. Rich and Johnny Moreno

A dark and stormy night in New York finds playwright and director Thomas (Johnny Moreno) alone in a generic warehouse space, frustrated after a day of lousy auditions searching for the lead actress in his new play; so happens it's based on "Venus in Furs," the notorious 1870 novella by Leopold von Sacher-Masoch, whose name gave us the term "masochism." In the novella, nobleman Severin suffers sexual dissatisfaction, having acquired an obsession with the pleasure of pain when he was beaten as a boy. He seeks a woman who will satisfy his obsession by making him her slave, and thinks he may have found her when he meets Countess Vanda by chance at a resort, and the two embark on an intense relationship wherein the shifting power is more critical and labyrinthine than any sexual encounter.

In the play, as Thomas despairs finding the Vanda for his play adaptation, in comes Wanda (Allison F. Rich), who was called Vanda by her parents. She's hours too late, rails against God and fate and bad luck to miss her chance, complains of the guy on the subway trying to feel her up, and pleads with Thomas to let her read just one scene. Removing her trenchcoat to reveal classic dominatrix lingerie, Vanda suddenly scores some interest from Thomas; but it isn't until she pulls an ivory lace Victorian dress from her bottomless bag that he's hooked. Her relentless pursuit of the audition finally wears him down, and when she begins the scene, he's floored by her spot-on delivery—and the fact that she seems to know all the lines already.

The intense tug of war begins, as we see power shift—first to one, then the other—and the characters from Thomas' play come to life. Mysteries pile up, as do costumes and weapons and innuendoes. Is Vanda who she seems to be? How does she know so much about Thomas? Her suggestions at first offend Thomas and then become welcome revisions; who is playwright now, and who director? Who is slave or master? The lines between characters and players become impossibly blurred, as Thomas and Vanda slide, perhaps irrevocably, into ever deeper murky waters.

To reveal any more would spoil the delicious intrigue and ambiguity. The first half is terrifically funny as well as fascinating; the second half hands you a laugh when you need to catch your breath. Along the way we may hear politics, but they sound different when spoken by a fantasy dominatrix.

Rich and Moreno have fabulous chemistry, and both are wonderfully adept at switching characters in a heartbeat, with dizzying results. Sexy in stilettos and demure in lace, Rich is a force to be reckoned with, brilliantly commanding the space, showing her skills at both comedy and drama. A lesser partner might be overshadowed, but Moreno is her equal as unsuspecting Thomas, drawn into an unholy struggle by libido and ego. The two of them spar sharply for just over 90 minutes, building the conflict to an astonishing pitch.

Kudos to director Kimberly Mohne Hill for adroit staging and captured nuances. The production team lands it, too, with a wonderful gritty set by Richard C. Ortenblad, outstanding costumes by Jean Cardinale, and excellent lighting by Maurice Vercoutere. Cliff Caruthers' sound design adds great punctuation with judicious use of thunder and rain.

Definitely for adults only, this one isn't to be missed, for the play, for the fantastic performances—you'll laugh out loud, and then find yourself caught up in the strange and marvelous deception of it all.

Venus in Fur by David Ives; presented by San Jose Stage, 490 South First Street, San Jose, through March 1, 2015. Tickets $25 - $65, available at 408-283-7142 or at www.thestage.org.

Photo: Dave Lepori

Cheers - and be sure to Check the lineup of great shows this season in the San Francisco area

- Jeanie K. Smith