Stover managed this production at the standard level that has come to be expected from the theater. That is, not particularly brilliant but not particularly painful either. It was, in fact, standard mediocrity.

Hampton’s play, set in France in the late 1780s, tells the tale of the cruel machinations of La Marquise de Merteuil and Le Vicomte de Valmont, who seek revenge on their enemies through sex. Yet the viciousness and perversity of the play are perhaps the hardest for any actor to grasp.

Therefore, one can understand director Ken McCoy’s decision to lighten the piece by playing up the comedy rather than the cruelty. For one it takes less skill on the part of the actors, and two it allows the audience to have some reaction to the play even if the reaction is not altogether appropriate. Overall this weakened the drama and, for the most part, the show never became anything more than students on a stage.

As for the students on that stage, Joy Carney provided a wicked enough Merteuil. While quite cruel, her performance seemed very much only to be on the surface. One felt that stripping away that piercing gaze that Carney has so perfected, one would find very little of interest.

However, her performance does triumph in the last scene.

As le Vicomte de Valmont, Chad Robinson comes off too foppish to be truly attractive or sinister (which ought to be one in the same in this play). His incessant smirking, tongue-tripping, and the occasional moments of overacting reduce Valmont to a french fool. The strangulated poodle on his head, which I suppose one should infer was a wig, did little to increase his charisma.

The supporting cast was a mixed bag of performances. As Madame de Volanges, Erin Jones had beautiful movement and quite shamed the rest of the cast with her poise, grace, and motion.

Carmen Reichmann’s Madame de Tourvel handles her scenes of hysteria quite well but, for the moments when she is not hyperventilating, the character is too undefined to ever interest the audience.

Jessica Roberge presents a slight dilemma in her performance of the inexperienced Cecile. While she is one of the few fully believable characters, the cartoon extremities she soars to seem not to gel properly with the overall tone of the play. This is less the fault of Roberge and more an issue that the director should have resolved.

As Madame de Rosemond, Emily Eisenhauer comes off as sometimes dotty, sometimes bland, and sometimes profound. A bit more stability would do.

For the role of le Chevalier Danceny, I feel a professional comparison is quite justified here. For like Keanu Reeves, Daniel Barr’s looks have taken him where his talent could not.

Meanwhile Eric Johnson’s lethargic take on Azolan provided an unconventional and well-executed interpretation of the role.

Yet by far the strongest performance came from Laura Pattilo’s Emilie, whose two-minute bedroom sequence seemed the only flash of true professionalism in the entire play.

From a technical aspect, though, the show went off without a hitch, so kudos should go to Amanda Atkins, Nicole Stevens, Lisa Carlson, and Andy Tippin.

In summation, one can only hope that Liaisons will serve as a learning experience to next year’s season. As Madame de Rosemonde notes at the end of act one, what is surprising in the world is how little it changes.

Hopefully Liaisons can at least serve the theater department in indicating what needs changing at Stover so that next year they may rise above mediocrity.

After walking out of the Stover Theatre, I felt compelled to extend my thanks to the cast of this play for sending me on a roller coaster ride straight into the depths of seduction and deceit.

Ken McCoy, director; the cast of Les Liaisons Dangereuses (Dangerous Liaisons); and the production crew under the direction of Howard Schumsky did an outstanding job of taking the audience out of the I 990s and bringing them to the France of the late 1 780s.

Leading us on this journey were La Marquise de Mertueil (played by Joy Carney) and Le Vicomte de Valmont (played by Chad Robinson). These two dastardly characters drew the audience into their "game" of seduction.

Robinson was outstanding in his portrayal as the puppeteer who does not discover his own strings until it is too late.

His struggle between saving face and admitting his love for the fair Madame de Tourvel (played by Carmen

Reichmann) endears him to the audience despite his wickedness. The highlight of Robinson’s performance was watching him exude the arrogance of a character we loved to hate.

Carney gave a commanding performance as Mertueil. Her body language and facial expressions allowed us to know that in every situation she was in control. Her charm and wit kept the audience wondering what other cruel intentions she had in store for her victims.

Reichmann, as Tourvel, played one of the more pity invoking victims of the play. Reichmann is a new addition to the Stover stage. She did an excellent job portraying the virtuous yet lonely wife. The highlight of her performance was when she struggles against Valmont’s advances finally fainting in exhaustion.

Another set of victims were Mademoiselle Cecile (played by Jessica Roberge) and Le Chevalier Danceny, played by Dan Barr.

Roberge’s portrayal of the innocent yet eager daughter of Madame de Volanges (played by Erin Jones) was very entertaining. Roberge’s best scene was when she quickly succumbed to the will of Valmont. Her giddiness of relating the seduction to Carney’s character gave this critic many laughs.

Barr’s portrayal of Danceny was very good. His ability to act like a silly and annoying youth allowed the audience to be surprised at his being chosen as Carney’s new lover.

His most remarkable scene came in the sword fight between him and Robinson. I was amazed at the skill and precision at which this beautifully choreographed scene was executed. There are very few times in the theatre where dialogue is not necessary; this was one of them.

Of special note was the portrayal of Madame de Rosemonde by another newcomer, Emily Eisenhauer. For her first performance on the Stover stage, she did an excellent job of playing the aged and all-knowing aunt of Valmont.

These actors, along with the supporting cast of Laura Pattillo, Eric Johnson, Jeff Hidek, Maryalice Phillips, Rebekah Williamson, Craig Bold, and Nathan Paul gave this reviewer one of the most pleasurable theater going experiences she has had since seeing Les Miserables. Thank you Stover Theater and congratulations on another outstanding performance.