Credits
Les Liaisons Dangeruses
By Christopher Hampton from the novel by Pierre Choderlos de Laclos
Antaeus Company
Starring (double cast): Reiko Aylesworth, Elyse Mirto, Scott Ferrara, Henri Lubatti, Chelsea Kurtz, Elizabeth Rian, Lindsay LaVanchy, Liza Seneca, Dylan Jones, Bellina Logan, Anne McNaughton, Lorna Raver, Josh Breslow, Paul Culos, Nadege August, Ellis Greer, Chad Borden, Aaron Lyons, Paul Stanko, Turner Frankosky, Matthew Lindberg, Chris Tilley
Set & Projection Design: Yee Eun Nam; Costumes: Jocelyn Hublau Parker; Lights: Leigh Allen; Sound: Jeff Polunas; Fight Designer: Ned Mochel
Reviews
…in fall 2017, the play’s observations on gender and society drown out its political ones… Director Robin Larsen makes the most of these echoes.
In Larsen’s staging, 15-year-old Cecile’s “seduction” by Valmont is unquestionably a rape. But despite that clear-eyed depiction, this Liaisons is a delicious, crackling production that seduces the audience with its wit, humor and behind-the-curtain peek at sexual gamesmanship — even as it snatches away the veil and forces us to confront our own complicity”
“ABSOLUTELY RIVETING… VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED…
More than ever, it’s a play for our time…Director Robin Larsen has deliberately gone for a realer approach to rape and sexual harassment, and given the current celebrity producer/entertainer news events, the choice is smack on the timeline.
…Larsen employs a superior, accurate script. A more cruel Le Vicomte de Valmont (Henri Lubatti); a far colder, self-possessed La Marquise de Merteuil (Reiko Aylesworth) playing for higher stakes than just petty revenge; a less laughably hysterical, very practical Madame de Volanges (Dylan Jones); a rather wretched, amoral Chevalier Danceny (Josh Breslow) and a distinctly naive, completely non-sexualized Cécile (Elizabeth Rian)…
“A marvel to behold, especially in this new production by Robin Larsen at the incredibly adventurous Antaeus Theatre Company.
This is a glorious production, with earned major respect for its courage, look, and the kinds of talents Antaeus employs.
“GRIPPING, TORRID AND DARK… powerfully displayed on the stage. Antaeus has a long tradition and powerful reputation for presenting the very best”
“WOW… cruel intentions and dirty rotten deeds… Decadence and deception prove downright delicious in The Antaeus Theatre Company’s pitch-perfectly partner-cast Les Liaisons Dangeureuses… [its] blend of depravity, duplicity, and desire is easily the headiest mix in town.”
Director Larsen has elicited one spectacular performance after another from a pair of remarkably distinct casts beginning with Mirto’s leggy Grace Kelly blonde vs. Aylesworth’s petite Elizabeth Taylor brunette and Ferrara’s sleek, runway-ready Valmont vs. Lubatti’s lupine rock star of a Vicomte, and the same holds true for just about every choice coupling.