“The Blue Room” will give you a hard-on, make you sweat or both. Written by David Hare, the play is based on the controversial book Reigen by Austrian writer Arthur Schnitzler.

Two characters, the Woman played by Christina Dow and the Man played by Christian Anderson, act out 10 highly sexual scenes in which they explore sexual fantasies that transcend social class: the whore and the cab driver, the politician and the young girl, the young girl and the writer, the writer and the actress and a few others. They are all intertwined.

This adaptation, directed by Elina de Santos, is wonderfully uninhibited, taking on a very modern approach. I love the small screen she includes above the stage that references how long each sexual encounter lasts. Some last “one minute,” while another is close to “two and a half hours.” The passion between each character is undeniable.

Still, I feel Dow could have given more (and by more, I do not mean nudity). She plays it safe and could let herself go a bit more. Anderson, on the other hand, gives wonderful versatility.

The lighting design by Leigh Allen sets a wonderful erotic tone for the evening. The atmosphere throughout the show is dark, but there are specific moments where light is used subtly and beautifully. The way in which Allen lights the actress’s dressing room while she is changing makes it feel as if the audience is a voyeur peeking into a very personal, discrete space. Another moment is when the actress is exiting the stage after her performance. The slightest use of light and shadow make her seem larger than life.

Sound designer Christopher Moscatiello and Arthur Loves Plastic’s original music has sex written all over it. It is perfect for the mood.

Although we have become more tolerant of sexual expression in our society, I can see how Schnitzler encountered tremendous scrutiny when his book went public. It was first published in Vienna in 1903, only to be censored a year later. He was terribly criticized, often called a Jewish pornographer as well as other horrific anti-Semitic remarks. He was a visionary, a man way before his time.

He said it himself: “I write of love and death. What other subjects are there?”



Odyssey Theatre is located at 2055 Sepulveda Blvd., Los Angeles. For more information, visit plays411.net/blueroom.