Theatrius
  • Now Playing
  • All Reviews
  • Writers
  • Reflections
  • Millennial Notes
  • Join Us
  • About Us
  • Search Icon

Theatrius

Theater Reviews—San Francisco and Beyond

“La  Ronde”—Trapped in Amber, at Cutting Ball, S.F.  

“La  Ronde”—Trapped in Amber, at Cutting Ball, S.F.  

March 28, 2019 Baela Tinsley

Millennial Notes

Schnitzler Resists Easy Update

by Baela Tinsley

Arthur Schnitzler’s “La Ronde” was shocking, even progressive, back in 1900, when it was censored and suppressed for decades. But now, the script only reveals that our ideas about sex have remained almost as puritanical as they were over a hundred years ago. Under Ariel Craft’s direction, “La Ronde” looks beautiful but requires excavation to understand the themes.

Newly sub-titled “a pas de deux of class and carnality,” Craft’s “La Ronde” unfolds in revolving vignettes chronicling intertwined sexual encounters. In a departure from the traditional ten actors, Craft employs only two, Ella Ruth Francis and Jeuneé Simon. The two women play all the characters, taking sexual flings as: Whore & Soldier, Soldier & Maid . . . Husband & Lil’ Miss, Lil’ Miss & Poet, Poet & Actress, Actress & Count, Count & Whore, among others.

Ella Ruth Francis and Jeuneé Simon

With the help of exceptional lighting design by Cassie Barnes and prop design by Adeline Smith, the actors navigate the 1890s sexual landscape in the black box theater turned bed chamber, forest, or private dining room. Francis is consistently whimsical and crisp. Simon approaches each new role with radically physical passion for acting. Brimming with vigor, both glide impressively between characters. Occasionally, the lovers lose their definite edges and bleed into each other.

In one scene between Husband (Francis) and Wife (Simon), Craft elegantly illustrates their power dynamics with choreography that gives each actor the ability to manipulate the other with a pointing finger. The Husband eventually wins out, gesturing the Wife into submission.

Jeuneé Simon and Ella Ruth Francis

In the following scene, the Husband (now Simon) is seen engaging in extramarital relations, a sin he has just warned his Wife against. What’s more, his relations consist of drugging and raping a nineteen year old called L’il Miss (Francis). She is left mumbling about “something in the wine.”  I feel like I have just watched a rape with no motive other than to remind me that rape exists. The Husband—a kind of man who still thrives on college campuses, in offices, on street corners—goes unpunished. Craft makes me an unwilling (not unwitting) accomplice.

Other scenes depict less disturbing, but equally fraught relationships, all of which are dominated by the patriarchal power dynamics of the 1890s. By casting women in both male and female roles, Craft wants us to consider our gendered expectations of power, but elicits only a shallow reaction in me: “The 1890s were messed up, huh?”

Jeuneé Simon and Ella Ruth Francis

We  simply see women playing violent men, without comment. Additionally, 19th century costumes dominate, making these heinous acts merely unfortunate realities from the past.

To close the show, the “Whore” returns to the stage in contemporary clothing, attempting to remind us that these sexual/power dynamics persist today. It feels like too little, too late. The production begins to feel like an assemblage of good ideas, none of which is fully rendered. Mostly, I am left feeling as though I have done the analytical work that the show could do better. Nevertheless, “The Carousel” is an entertaining ride.

  • Laronde 5592
  • Laronde 5673
  • Laronde 6010
  • Laronde 5967
  • 55480199 10161679237485637 2710372247813488640 O
  • 53913764 10161661590935637 6140223960920358912 O
  • 53694092 10161672055305637 2661453016988647424 O

“La Ronde: a pas de deux of class and carnality” by Arthur Schnitzler, translated by Eric Bentley, directed by Ariel Craft, at Cutting Ball Theatre, San Francisco, through Sunday, April 14, 2019. Info: cuttingball.com

Cast: Jeunée Simon and Ella Ruth Francis.


Millennial Notes, Plays
#MeToo, 1900, exploitation, feminism, patriarchy, rape, seduction, sex, Women's Rights

Post navigation

NEXT
“Urban Retreat” Exposes Minstrelsy of Pop Culture, at Lorraine Hansberry, S.F.
PREVIOUS
“Deathtrap” Thrills and Kills, at Theatre Rhinoceros, S.F.
Comments are closed.

Menu

  • Now Playing
  • All Reviews
  • Writers
  • Reflections
  • Millennial Notes
  • Join Us
  • About Us

BLM

Black Lives Matter

Subscribe for upcoming reviews!
Loading

Current Shows

  • “Pride and Prejudice, The Musical” Enchants with Sass & Satire—at Ross Valley
  • “Clue” Melds Mystery & Comedy into Entertaining Adventure—at SF Playhouse
  • “Donna”: Intimate Interviews Celebrate Trans Triumphs—On Screen
  • “Fannie”: Sixties Spirituals Pave Path to Freedom—at TheatreWorks
  • “’Tasha” Tackles Raw Racism—at 3Girls
  • “Tea Party” Brews Up a Cup of America—at The Strand
  • “A Raisin in the Sun” Explodes with Drama and Power—at 6th Street
  • “Cambodian Rock Band” Deserves Its Standing Ovation—at Berkeley Rep
  • “Cambodian Rock Band” Mixes Nostalgic Hits with Terror—at Berkeley Rep
  • “Fun Home” Seduces with Strong Songs & Sultry Sass—at Berkeley Playhouse
  • “Anything Goes”: It’s Delightful, It’s Delicious, It’s De-lovely—at 42nd Street Moon
  • “SIX, The Musical” Celebrates Women’s Freedom & Individuality—at BroadwaySF
  • “Fun Home” Bursts with Love & Feeling—at Berkeley Playhouse
  • “Dear San Francisco” Wows with Kaleidoscopic Acrobatics—at Club Fugazi
  • “Justice” Sings the Story of Three Supreme Women—at Marin

About us:

If you want to see the best plays & performances around the San Francisco Bay or beyond, read our reviews. We promise to give you a true report on the best shows.
Bay Area Critics Circle

Barry David Horwitz, Editor of Theatrius, is a Voting Member of the San Francisco Bay Area Theatre Critics' Circle, SFBATCC. Follow us on: facebook.com

© 2023   All Rights Reserved.