Sex, lies and manipulation

When Lee Mikeska Gardner staged an all-male production of “Les Liaisons Dangereuses” in Washington, D.C., in 2005, the social discussion about “sexuality and gender politics was very different than today,” she said, referring to a time before #metoo and Caitlyn Jenner. “The play was more of a celebration of sexuality. The cast was comprised of gay men and straight men, and it was directed by a cisgender heterosexual white woman.”

The lights went up, and Gardner braced herself for any and all reactions.

“We didn’t know how it would be received,” said Gardner. “But we had a great cast, and, I think, a beautiful production.”

Local critics agreed. The show was called a “bold, sometimes brilliant exploration of gender and sexuality.”

“It opened up a discussion about the LGBTQ community,” she said. “It was a reminder that we’re all sexual beings.”

More than a decade later, Gardner returns to “Les Liaisons Dangereuses” with a Nora Theatre Company production that runs May 31 to July 1 at the Central Square Theater in Cambridge. Over the course of 13 years, the discussion about gender politics has become more multifaceted, and the play has proven its ability to morph with the times.

“Why this play? Why now? And why us? Those are questions I always ask myself,” said Gardner, who is also the artistic director of the Nora Theatre. “I concluded there is still gaslighting, and the conversation about gender has become more complex. The play was originally about watching women negotiate a society that was created by men. But we’ve seen that story before. In this production, we’re interested in watching men negotiate a world created by men.”

The novelist Pierre Choderlos de Laclos caused quite a little scandal when he wrote “Les Liaisons Dangereuses” in 1782. It features two characters, former lovers Merteuil and Valmont, who are unrepentantly amoral. Using sex as their weapon, they enter into a perverted game of manipulation as they try to compromise their virtuous and unsuspecting targets.

Christopher Hampton wrote the play in 1985, and the core of the story remains the same as the novel.

“The thing about a great play is that it speaks to different issues at different times,” said Gardner. “When it was first produced, it was about female power. One of the women in the play said, ‘I became the way I am, because I had to.’ As we move through the years, the story’s obvious themes are still in place, but we’re talking about them differently.”

The play also offers a brutal portrait of the way people treat one another.

“When two people choose to make a relationship with each other – whether it’s as friends, business partners or lovers – they enter into some kind of a bond,” said Gardner, “and when that bond gets broken, when someone is unfaithful, then tragedy ensues.”

So how does it change the story when it’s performed by an all-male cast?

Gardner explained that this concept doesn’t transform “Liaisons” into a story about gay relationships; instead, males play females.

She’s seen the effects of this decision in rehearsal. Particularly, she’s noticed the way her concept, which includes no dresses, no heels, no bodices to be ripped, has changed the character of Madame de Tourvel.

“She’s often portrayed as a weak religious person, but she’s not,” said Gardner. “She’s intelligent and witty and courageous, and she has a strong moral center. But when she admits her love for Valmont, there’s a moment when the script said she goes into convulsions or shock. She’s in this tight corset and dress, and she hyperventilates. But it doesn’t feel to me like that fits with her character.”

By removing the restrictive clothing and freeing her from the convulsions, Gardner finds the reactions of Tourvel (played by Eddie Shields) to be more interesting and complex.

“Eddie is stunning and dangerous and powerful and raw,” said the director. “It’s this amazing moment of someone battling their own strong moral code.”

Gardner’s production is also notable for its use of nudity. In a play in which characters are jumping in and out of bed with each other, it’s not surprising that actors would flash the occasional full moon. But her use of nudity prompted Gardner not only to employ an “intimacy director” (who helps stage intimate moments the way fight directors help choreograph battles), she’s also put a warning in the promotion of the show: “Full nudity. Sexual content. Suggested age: 18 and over.”

“Not all the nudity is sexual,” said Gardner. “In most of the sexual scenes, the actors are fully clothed.”

It’s another element of the show that could prompt a strong reaction. As she envisions opening night, Gardner could be forgiven if she flashes back 13 years to opening night in Washington, D.C., and the uncertainty she faced then.

Once again, she’s braced for any response.

“This production is sort of an experiment,” said Gardner. “I want to see what conversations arise. I have no clue what a general audience will say.”