There are those of us who fall into the category of people who believe that any movie or play with a swordfight is automatically worth watching. Even if you don’t fall into that category, Rorschach Theatre’s masterful production of Fair Ladies At A Game Of Poem Cards has plenty of other pleasures to offer.

But those swordfights! Fair Ladies mostly revolves around the tale of two samurai who fall for some off-limits ladies-in-waiting to the Empress, and the tragic consequences and imperial political scheming that results from their liaisons. And when Fair Ladies transports us into the samurai world, it treats us to some well-executed, kendo-inspired swordplay, set to a modern soundtrack with eastern influences.

The clear effort and attention that Rorschach has paid in creating those killer fight scenes shows up in nearly every aspect of Fair Ladies. Rorschach’s shows take place in a small room within a Columbia Heights church, but thanks to innovative set design, their productions never feel constrained. Here, whether cast members are racing across high wooden platforms or shaded behind hazily-lit screens, not an inch of the performance space goes to waste, and the setting feels realistic, whether it be a palace or a forest.