La Ronde

Depicting the intimate moments that immediately precede and follow ten sexual encounters, La Ronde scandalized Viennese audiences when it first opened in 1921. Tracing these liaisons through shared partners (Whore and Soldier, Soldier and Maid, Maid and Student etc.), the play emphasizes at once the interconnectedness of relationships, and the isolation of individual lives. La Ronde presents its subjects in brutal honesty, with scenes running the gamut from caring, to creepy, to downright cold. Abstractly presented on a set of pillows, sheets, and blankets, director Greg Taubman’s staging highlights the relationships between Arthur Schnitzler’s complex characters, giving energy and life to the dynamics of human sexuality.