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La Ronde

Sex is front and centre in Soulpepper's adventurous adaptation of Arthur Schnitzler's controversial turn-of-the-century play

By Lauren Gillett • April 7, 2013

Written by Arthur Schnitzler
Adapted by Jason Sherman
Directed by Alan Dilworth

Maev Beaty & Mike Ross. Photo by Cylla von Tiedemann.

Written in 1897, Arthur Schnitzler's La Ronde (or Reigen in German) caused an outrage when it was first staged in Berlin in 1920, and was eventually banned for what was then considered to be obscene content. More than 80 years later, the play about 10 interconnected sexual encounters is still going around, and ruffling a few feathers even now.

In Soulpepper's new production, Jason Sherman adapts the risqué piece for a modern Toronto audience, setting the action in familiar city locales: a Rosedale mansion, a bedroom in The Annex, a downtown nightclub, an office in the financial district and a Lakeshore motel room. Characters include: a soldier named Charlie (Stuart Hughes), Sonja, a foreign prostitute (Leah Doz), Hannibelle, a Congolese maid (Miranda Edwards), Nicolas, a student (Adrian Morningstar), his biology professor Isobel (Maev Beaty), her husband Teddy (Mike Ross), Zoe, a fashion designer (Grace Lynn Kung), Lucas, a budding filmmaker (Brandon McGibbon), Eve, a sex therapist (Brenda Robins), and Robert, a venture capitalist (Paul Sun-Hyung Lee).

Featuring a sophisticated set, costumes and video design by Lorenzo Savoini, lighting design by Kimberley Purtell and provocative sound design by Thomas Ryder Payne, the production alternates in tone between tense, funny, shocking and downright disturbing—and covers a wide range of themes and sexual acts—each scene connecting with the next in a merry-go-round of human desire and emotion. Eventually, the ride comes around full circle, and in the end it isn't the nudity and sex that we take away from La Ronde (although there is plenty of it), but a collection of human experiences. It is the loneliness of each individual that touches us most memorably. Sherman's bold interpretation is an exciting departure for Soulpepper. And the risk pays off.

Director Alan Dilworth gets confident and vulnerable performances out of this exceptional cast, keeping us on the edge of our seats in anticipation as the set breaks apart between each powerful rendez-vous. Audiences will often find it difficult to watch but even harder to look away.

La Ronde runs until May 4 at the Young Centre for the Performing Arts. Visit soulpepper.ca for more information and to buy tickets.

Show Dates:

Tue, 2013-03-26 - Sat, 2013-05-04

Our rating: