Review: LES LIAISONS DANGEREUSES at The Laboratory Theater of Florida

LES LIAISONS DANGEREUSES at The Laboratory Theater of Florida is a tale of seduction and manipulation.

The storyline circles around Valmont (Steven Coe) and Merteuil (Sonya McCarter).Valmont is determined to seduce the inaccessible Madame de Tourvel (Chloe Elliot-Chan), but Merteuil wants him to seduce the young Cecile (Adrial McCloud), daughter of Madame de Volanges (Gerrie Benzing), to corrupt her innocence. If he can manipulate Madame de Tourvel and convince her to write a letter for proof, Merteuil offers Valmont a night with her, an offer he can't refuse. At the same time, Cecile begins to fall for the young Danceny (Cameron Rogers), though Valmont and Merteuil swoop in to control that relationship as well. Merteuil and Valmont seem to have control over everything and everyone, and they take great pleasure in such. I won't spoil everything that happens for you, but there are many layers and twists to this plot.

This cast did a great job telling this story. There's a lot to it, as it's a fairly lengthy show, and they had a lot of dialogue. I am always impressed with the memorization skills actors have in a show like this. They did well at portraying their characters' personalities, even though some of the characters were unlikable. I did find the plot a bit difficult to follow at times, due to so many layers of deceit; since it is on the longer side, there are countless twists and turns that can get confusing.

The costumes in the show, provided by The Naples Players/Dot Auchmoody, with additional costumes by Diana Waldier and Margaret Cooley, were perfectly fitting for this production. The show is set in 18th century France, and the costumes reflected this but with a modern twist. Merteuil and Valmont in particular both had very modern aspects in their costumes, and I believe this was representative of a line in the show that Director Paul Graffy referenced in the production's press release: "how little the world changes." The "games" that these characters play with others, being very cruel and devious, still happen in today's times, just in different ways.

The Lab's Artistic Director, Annette Trossbach, choreographed the fights and intimacy for this production. The movement in each fight/intimate moment needs to be very specific, and it was done very well for this show. I also appreciated the simplicity of the set, which was created by David Farnum, Jonathan Johnson, Diane Langan, Adrial McCloud, and Anne Reed. Sound design was done by Jonathan Johnson, projections by Paula Risk, and props by Adrial McCloud.

LES LIAISONS DANGEREUSES is playing now through May 7 at The Lab. You must be 18+ to attend due to mature content. For more information and to buy tickets, click here: http://www.laboratorytheaterflorida.com

Photo Credit: Sisk Media