Giddiness is not very good for ‘Fraulein Else’

In the early days of Sigmund Freud’s musings about the mind, fellow Austrian Arthur Schnitzler, a doctor and writer, covered similar territory in his plays and novels.

Today, Schnitzler is best remembered for his theatrical roundelay of sexual partners, “La Ronde,” which caused riots and earned him an obscenity trial. Years later, in 1924, he wrote the novella “Fraulein Else,” a stream-of-consciousness depiction of a young woman’s thoughts as she is asked to do something that almost certainly will compromise her virtue.

Theater and film treatments of the novella have been attempted before. Now, actress Francesca Faridany has adapted it as a vehicle for herself, directed by her husband, Stephen Wadsworth, known for his adaptations of such Marivaux romances as “The Triumph of Love.” Unfortunately, their project -- being presented by La Jolla Playhouse after its introduction at Berkeley Repertory Theatre -- is most notable for making what was once terribly modern seem thoroughly old-fashioned.

Though other actors are artfully arranged like so many pieces of stage furniture, the bulk of the piece is performed by Faridany as the title character. She keeps a manic grin plastered on her face, meant to make her seem “high-spirited,” and she affects a big, big, big manner of speaking and flailing her arms about that is, perhaps, an attempt to suggest how grand actresses of the early 20th century might have attacked the role.

“Attacked” is surely the right word, for Faridany all but leaps, snarling, on every line. It gets old in a hurry, causing this 85-minute piece to seem much longer.

Thomas Lynch’s set is a mix of the real and surreal, suggesting Else’s melting mindscape. The daughter of a prominent Viennese family laid low, Else is vacationing in northern Italy with wealthier relatives. The spa hotel’s solid, elegant facade is seen through the gauzy outlines of mountain peaks. Settings are jumbled together, with a patchwork of carpets, inlaid floors and gravel walkways twisting about one another -- treacherous paths that Else must follow.

Joan Arhelger’s lights lend psychological nuance; when Else embarks on her task, for instance, she is seen walking along a deeply shaded outdoor path. Anna Oliver’s period costumes contribute to an overall air of sumptuousness and sensuality.

At times reminiscent of Virginia Woolf’s “Mrs. Dalloway” or Thomas Mann’s “Death in Venice,” “Fraulein Else” conveys a 19-year-old’s racing thoughts as she impishly ponders which hotel guests might be eyeing her nubile body (the performance contains nudity) -- her young cousin Paul (Michael Tisdale) among them -- while gloomily contemplating the letter from her mother (Mary Baird) that sends her to ask a favor of the older Herr Von Dorsday (Julian Lopez-Morillas).

Romance is crushed by a cruel world where everything has a price.

Faridany’s stamina -- especially given the breathlessness of her performance -- can be admired. But her interpretive path is filled with more peril than even young Else must face.

*

‘Fraulein Else’

Where: La Jolla Playhouse, La Jolla Village Drive and Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla

When: Tuesdays-Fridays, 8 p.m.; Saturdays, 2 and 8 p.m.; Sundays, 2 and 7 p.m.

Ends: July 13

Price: $39 to $49

Contact: (858) 550-1010

Running Time: 1 hour, 25 minutes

Francesca Faridany...Fraulein Else

Michael Tisdale...Paul

Lauren Lovett...Cissy

Mary Baird...Mother

Julian Lopez-Morillas...Herr

Von Dorsday

A La Jolla Playhouse presentation in association with Berkeley Repertory Theatre. Translated and adapted by Francesca Faridany from the novella by Arthur Schnitzler. Directed by Stephen Wadsworth. Sets Thomas Lynch. Costumes Anna Oliver. Lights Joan Arhelger. Stage manager Michael Suenkel.