The Schoolhouse Theater, in Croton Falls, N.Y., surely has one of the most varied seasons of any regional theater, starting with a searing portrait of Louis Armstrong in "Satchmo at the Waldorf," ending the season in December with the British hijinks of "Jeeves and Wooster in 'Perfect Nonsense'" and now, mid-season, presenting "Les Liaisons Dangereuses," running until Sept. 21.
Written in the form of a series of letters, the story relates the amorous adventures of Mme. de Merteuil and the Vicomte de Valmont, former lovers and kindred spirits in ruthless psychological manipulation.
The book was turned into this play by British playwright Christopher Hampton and produced in 1985 to great acclaim, followed by a 1988 film.
The Schoolhouse production, directed by Owen Thompson, opens upon a traditional, lovely 18th-century salon, courtesy of set designer Tony Andrea and scenic artist Isabelle Favette. Throughout the play, rearranged furniture and a sliding panel suggest other salons, other boudoirs.
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| Patrick Zeller as Valmont and Elizah Knight as de Tourvel |
Merteuil (played by Elisabeth S. Rodgers) is playing cards with her cousin, Mme. de Volanges (Lisa Ann Goldsmith), whose 15-year-old daughter, Cecile (Kate Day Magocsi) has just left the convent where she has been educated.
While the Volanges women are in the room, Merteuil and Valmont are all politesse, but when they leave, their voices harden and Merteuil makes a shocking proposal to Valmont: seduce the girl so that the man who really wants her -- Gercourt, himself a lover who left Merteuil -- will be humiliated.
Valmont, who prides himself on his "reputation" as a seducer, has a different plan. A married lady of known virtue, Mme. de Tourvel (Elizah Knight) is staying with his aunt, Mme. de Rosemonde (Brinton Parson).Getting her into bed would be a real triumph: "I want her to believe in God and virtue and the sanctity of marriage, and still not be able to stop herself ... I want the excitement of watching her betray everything that's most important to her."
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| Patrick Zeller as Valmont and Elisabeth S. Rodgers as Merteuil |
The intensity of his ardor stings Merteuil, who recalls when she and Valmont were lovers. Surely he isn't in love? "Love is something you use, not something you fall into, like quicksand," she remarks.
And so the spiders begin weaving their webs, also drawing in a young man who is genuinely attracted to Cecile, Chevalier Danceny (Max Murray). Merteuil and Valmont use lies, emotional deception, even sexual assault as they play amoral games with real people's lives.
What trips them up, to their surprise, is genuine emotion. Valmont really is in love with De Tourvel, who softens his heart with her sincerity and vulnerability. Merteuil's jealous pride as the "woman scorned" turns her heart to stone. Deceit builds on deceit, reaching a deadly conclusion.
Laclos' "Liaisons" still fascinate us since the beautifully-dressed characters (courtesy of costume designer Nancy Nichols) toss off such sophisticated witticisms as, "I think there's something very degrading about having a husband for a rival. It's humiliating if you fail and commonplace if you succeed."
Thompson is well aware of the parallel with today as his director's notes read that "lace cuffs have given way to tailored suits, gilded coaches to private jets." Valmont and Merteuil's downfall and the rot under their schemes echoes Epstein and Maxwell, one dead in prison, the other still in prison.
Rodgers and Zeller give sensational performances as Merteuil and Valmont. Merteuil has been hardened by the realities of her society: "One of the reasons I never remarried, despite a quite bewildering
range of offers, was the determination never again to be ordered around." Rodgers gives a brilliant and affecting portrait of a woman fighting against her own heart. Zeller's aggressive energy is undeniable, as Valmont, too, finds a kind of benediction along with the cynicism.
Knight beautifully conveys de Tourvel's emotional agony, playing a character whose hysteria could get tedious -- but not in her hands. Magosci's fresh-faced Cecile is charming. However, I don't quite buy the script's portrayal (no knock on the actor) of Cecile as a girl who is quickly convinced that rape is necessary "instruction" in the bedroom arts.
Goldsmith's Volanges is as wise, but not as hard, as Merteuil. Murray's Danceny is an innocent young man until he's forced to face up to Valmont's actions. Parson expresses de Rosemonde's slight cluelessness but I wish she had spoken a bit louder at this performance since her lines were sometimes hard to hear. Overall, the pace was sometimes a tad slow. Dennis Parichy's lighting design, as usual, was highly professional, with such nice touches as the sequential illumination of the wall sconces to begin the play.
They are a fascinating crowd, these French aristocrats with no scruples -- and as contemporary as today's headlines.
