On The DL

Phèdre

by Mark Cofta

Runs May 9-24, $15, Vanity House Theater, 4373 Main St., 610-955-9282, vanityhouse.org

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Manayunk's long been an arts-friendly neighborhood, with one glaring exception: theater. Vanity House Theater, headed by Villanova theater grad program vets Kristi Good and Chris Braak, fills the need with unique storefront productions, creating affordable shows close to Manayunk's busy night life — including the area premiere of Paul Schmidt's translation of Jean Racine's Phèdre, which starts this Friday.

With only 25 seats, Vanity House should "provide a heightened experience," says Braak. "The audience is going to be almost on top of the action." It should be especially lively and intense, given that Schmidt's take on the classical French tragedy addresses a hot topic: "the lingering puritanical view about sexuality in the United States," says Braak. He sees the story of cursed heroine Phèdre (Veronica Wathome) and her destruction of Athens' royal house (led by Brian McCann's Theseus) as an exploration of modern discussions about sexual obsession. "This is essentially a play about the social and religious repression of sexuality, and the drastic, damaging consequences of that repression."

Vanity House envisions a Manayunk theater focusing on the power of live performance, working closely with the local community — fitting in, not competing with, the neighborhood's shops, restaurants and bars. I'll drink to that.