Gareth Saxe as Valmont and Tamara Tunie as La Marquise. Photo © Gerry Goodstein.

Rarely have I experienced theater as powerful as The Shakespeare Theatre's recent production of Les Liasons Dangeruses . So moved was I by the production at last evening's performance that I feel impelled to share my reactions.

I could go on forever about the originality of the direction (how clever it was to present a witty Valmont who sometimes gestures humorously and delivers a measured portion of his lines tongue-in-cheek rather than exclusively with cynicism); the lushness of the production (not only were the set and costumes highly evocative but their opulence provided a refreshing departure from the ubiquitous grunge of contemporary life); the excellence of the acting (the performances were riveting, nuanced and right on target); the smoothly choreographed movement (the duel scene was exceptionally well crafted and the randiness of the characters' body language during various sexual romps contrasted nicely with the delicacy of the lovers' gestures when love figured in their encounters); and the grace, aptness and functionality of the riffs (not only were they in keeping with the period of the piece, but they also provided a pleasant diversion during the frequent set changes). 

On learning that Liasons would be presented by the Shakespeare Theatre, my initial reaction was that I'd skip it, since it seemed to me that the two movie versions I'd seen were quite enough on the subject.  Fortunately, word of mouth - the arts barometer on which I most rely - convinced me otherwise.

When my wife and I saw The Merry Wives of Windsor , we were amazed at our good fortune to have such sterling theater such a short distance form our home in Convent Station.  Now that we've seen Liasons , we're thrilled at the consistently high caliber of The Shakespeare Theatre's productions.  Kudos for an exceptionally moving show and a particularly rich season!

—Tony Raiola of Convent Station, NJ

Enjoyed the play and thought Gareth Saxe and Roxanna Hope were outstanding. Only slight downside is that the large number of scene changes become somewhat annoying by the time you're done.

—Michael Carr of Flemington, NJ

Deliciously wicked! Gareth Saxe as the seductive Vicomte de Valmont was like watching a snake in the grass- repulsive but so fascinating you can't look away.Tamara Tunie was perfect as the cold, cruel, calculating aristocrat. Erin Partin is always a joy to watch.Roxanna Hope was heart breaking as the fragile Mme.DeTourvel.Bonnie Monte's direction deserves a big Bravo. The sexual content and tension in the play were obvious without being offensive. It was done tastefully. I shudder to think what I might have saw had this been done at McCarter!

—Deborah Kaminski of Flemington, NJ

"Devilishly designed from head to foot- casting to clothing. Roxanna Hope is luminous and near broke my heart as the wily Valmont was breaking hers. Bonnie J. Monte just GOT it- thank you for a most enjoyable night of theatre."

—A fan from Maplewood, NJ

(NO STAR RATING PROVIDED)

"We saw 'Les Liaisons Dangereuses' on Sunday and thought it was fabulous. (Reviewers hav no idea what they are talking about.)   We thought Gareth Saxe in particular gave an outstanding performance.   We also loved the sets and the artful way of changing the sets.

I do think that the repartee between Valmont and the Marquise goes by too fast at the beginning when establishing the story.   I could not remember to which affair the letter of proof relates and I could not recall the details of the 'revenge' on the man whose name started with ''G'.   It might be good to slow down at these points and provide some emphasis so the story line is clearer.   The repetition of the Marquise lines at the end when Valmont was throwing over M. Tourvel was the kind of thing that would clarify the story.   It was also unclear how the duel came about. "

                                        —The Clark Family

"The game's afoot! And what game is it? You'll decide for yourself as you watch this thought-provoking play about love, conquest, manipulation, ego, and surrender in pre-Revolutionary Paris.

As this drama slowly unfolded I found myself teetering between fascination and repulsion, as if viewing a spider slowly devouring the innocent fly caught in its web. The Marquise and Valmont--the cunningly cruel main characters played masterfully by Tamara Tunie and Gareth Saxe--chilled me as they casually laid plans to break hearts simply for the sport of it. But wait...were these victimizers also victims as well, caught in the web of their own making? Perhaps.

Between the surges of hatred I felt toward the Marquise and Valmont and their monstrous game I would find myself wondering, what if they weren't really monsters at all? Could they be reflections of the darkest part of the human soul, of my soul? Have I ever thought about playing such a game with another, or hid my true feelings behind a mask of cruelty or indifference crafted from fears of betrayal or unrequited love?

Perhaps. And perhaps you have, too.

Les Liaisons Dangereuses, directed by the highly skilled Bonnie Monte and brought to life through an incredibly talented cast should not be missed. It will move you and it will make you think. But fair warning--you may never think of monsters the same way again.

Prepare yourself for a dangerous liaison."

—Maureen Dowd of Florham Park, NJ