You’d think that after spending a month in the country, pressured by nothing but the burden of boredom and indolence, there would be a lot more passionate, steamy sex behind the closed bedroom doors of a wealthy, seductive temptress lusting after a young, charming tutor.

But such is not the case in Northwestern’s portrayal of Ivan Turgenev’s Russian classic, “A Month in the Country,” directed by Speech Prof. David Downs.

So should we be disappointed?

Absolutely not.

In the opening scene, the audience witnesses a love bug infect an aristocratic circle of friends who have a month to do nothing but tempt, tease and taunt each other.

Natalya (Speech senior Mariah Sanford-White) is married to the hard-working and aloof Arkady (Speech junior Elliot Leffler) in a relationship that reeks of diminished passion on her part. In Arkady’s absence, the teasing Natalya plays tricks with the fragile heart of Michel (Speech senior Egan Reich).

Meanwhile, an adorable dance of flirtation takes place between the baby-faced orphan, Vera (Speech Junior Cheryl Conkling), and the young tutor Aleksey (Speech junior Sammy Stevens).

Natalya soon realizes that she must marry Vera off in order to win Aleksey’s heart.

Although he knows Natalya is busy pursuing Aleksey and that he must move on, Michel still blindly places his delicate heart in the tempermental palm of her hand.

“This play shows how a person who has desires and yearnings but is stuck on one obsession becomes so afraid of letting go,” Reich said.

In the end, the audience walks away feeling that they too have been participants in this unconquerable love labyrinth. nyou