NT Live performance of 'Les Liaisons Dangereuses' deals in intrigue and seduction

"Les Liaisons Dangereuses" created a considerable sensation when it premiered in 1985, and it has by no means lost the power to captivate.

This portrait of sexual intrigue was presented in 2015 at Actors Express in Atlanta in a production featuring Macon native Jennifer Schottstaedt, and now a major revival from London is headed for Macon's Douglass Theatre, thanks to the National Theatre Live HD broadcasts.

The Christopher Hampton script is based on Choderlos de Laclos's 1782 novel in epistolary form, a genre which was highly popular in that era. Indeed, in England, one of the great novels of the time was also told in letter form and also dealt with seduction.

The current production, while a part of the NT Live series, is a product of the Donmar Warehouse.

While it also has been made into an award-winning film, those who have seen both the stage production and the later film say that the play outperforms the film in arousing the passions of the audience -- yet another tribute to the powers of the human imagination. And, amazingly, it succeeds without recourse to any but the most refined language.

Set in 18th century Paris (always a good choice for a show that reeks of sensuality), the plot tells of the collaboration of two former lovers -- Vicomte de Valmont and the Marquise de Merteuil -- a pair whose bywords are betrayal and cruelty.

They also are capable of dialogue that would do justice to Oscar Wilde, including a pragmatic paean to women on the joys of a lover or two.

Ultimately, the pair succeeds in arranging for the bedding of two quite different types, one the paragon of married virtue, and the other fresh from the convent.

But in the delicious end, there are some surprises, both for us and for the seducer. If we term these surprises "lessons," then this 18th century tale still speaks suggestively to us in the 21st century.

'Les Liaisons Dangereuses'

When: 3 p.m. Jan. 31

Where: Douglass Theatre, 355 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.

Cost: $20 adults, $15 students and seniors

Information: 478-742-2000

This story was originally published January 28, 2016 at 3:48 PM with the headline "NT Live performance of 'Les Liaisons Dangereuses' deals in intrigue and seduction ."