A typical warning before a theatrical performance will often caution guests of pyrotechnics, a fog machine or some other type of special effect. However, the sign displayed outside of the Studio Theatre at the Pittsburgh Playhouse’s production of “La Ronde” read “Attention: this production contains brief nudity.”            From Oct. 8 to 24, the REP, Point Park University’s professional theatre company, will be performing “La Ronde,”play written by Arthur Schnitzler and translated by Frank and Jacqueline Marcus. In 1903, when it was first published, the play was immediately banned for its provocative content. It consists of ten scenes that are described as a “sexual merry-go-round in turn-of-the-century Vienna.”The show opens with a dance involving the entire cast in the style of what one may have seen in a cafe in 20century Austria.  From there on, the scenes progress from a “rendezvous” in a park with a prostitute and soldier, to that same soldier with a housemaid, and that housemaid with her young master, and so on.Each following scene further interlaces the rest of the cast members in a series of “naughty” liaisons with each blackout leaving much to the interpretation of the audience. The vignettes continue with many laughs along the way until they come back around to the brothel, home to the first character introduced.  Although”La Ronde” is more than a century old, it still proves the point that no matter what class of society someone belongs to, he or she still must somehow fulfill sexual desires.Debra Sherrer, assistant to the lighting designer who is currently working on her Bachelor’s of Fine Arts degree in stage management at Point Park, said the show was originally written as a “closet drama,” meaning that it was only intended to be read, not actually performed on stage. “Robin Walsh, the director, really put a lot into it,” Sherrer said. “When there are just dotted lines in the script happening, the actors’ motivations came strictly from her.”Sherrer also noted several fascinating elements of symbolism that Walsh added to the REP’s production. “La Ronde” is French for “the round,” meaning a circle, Sherrer said.  The show began with a circular dance called a “Ronde,” there was a rotating stage, and the lighting structure above the stage was round, none of which were written into the script.Another clever addition on Walsh’s part was to have the same pink handkerchief passed along by the cast members throughout their various sexual escapades. At the end of the show, it ironically ends up going in full circle back to the brothel with the prostitute who gave it away in the first place.The venue added another unique aspect to this performance. The Studio Theatre is a black box theatre, which is exactly what it sounds like: a large square room with black walls and seating around the outside for the audience, placing them on the same level as the actors.Richard Keitel, a theatre professor and director at Point Park, played The Husband in the show and said he prefers smaller venues for performance. “Last year I directed “Hot L Baltimore” in this space,” Keitel said. “You don’t have to shout. The audience is right there and you can sort of feel and see them breathing.”Keitel believes theater loses its effect and relationship with the audience when a show is performed for over 500 people.”When you go to The Benedum or a space that’s 1,000 or 2,000 seats and you’re eight miles away from the stage, it’s not the same intimacy,” Keitel said.However, the downside of such an intimate theater setting is that there are only 65 seats available for each show.”It’s going to sell out fast,” Keitel said, “so I would encourage all Point Park students and faculty to come and support it and they’ll have a really good time.”Sophomore acting major Matt Refermat, who saw La Ronde on opening night, agreed fully with this sentiment.”Overall it was a stunning piece: character-wise, design-wise, costumes, set, movement and voice,” Refermat said. “I think everyone should see it. And if they’re able to, multiple times. It’s a beautiful show in a beautiful space. The wonderful thing about the Studio Theatre is that when you view a show down there, rarely do you all ‘see’ the same things.” La Ronde is showing until Oct. 24, Thursdays through Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Saturdays and Sundays at 2 p.m. in the Studio Theatre at the Playhouse.  Student admission is free with proper identification, but plan to show up at least a half-hour in advance because there will be no late seating.