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Tartuffe
By Moliere
A new Translation by Ranjitt Bolt
Directed by James Bohnen
Produced by Remy Bumppo think theatre
At Victory Gardens Theater
2257 N. Lincoln Ave
Chicago, Il
Call 773-871-3000, tickets $33 - $38.50
Wednesdays thru Saturdays at 7:30 PM
Sundays at 2:30 PM
Through March 5, 2006
Hilarious new translation makes Tartuffe fresh, biting satire.
Remy Bumppo think theatre goes to great lengths to offer outstanding theatrical fare including having the show’s director James Bohnen work with the translator, Ranjitt Bolt, to update Moliere’s (1622-1673) classic with modern American idioms while accepting and adhering the translation to Moliere’s intent. The result is a remarkable funny, energetic take on the Frenchman’s irreverent comedy. What Bohnen has accomplished here is to give new life to a much produced classic that sometimes suffers from eternal stuffiness. It is pleasant to witness a rebirth of a classic that will give the 20-30something crowd a glimpse into the wonders of 17th Century classical French theatre. I enjoyed the spicy, punchier, idiomatic hip speech enriched production spoken in rhyming couplets.
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Featuring a terrific ensemble of players led by Patrick Clear (Orgon), Tartuffe is an easily understandable funny show where the modern translation still contains Moliere’s biting satire set to rhyming verse. Director James Bohnen creatively played the outspoken maid Dorine as a Spanish-accented Latino. Stephanie Diaz’s maid steals the early scenes and deftly holds her own while verbalizing with Margaret Kustermann’s Madame Pernelle and Patrick Clear’s Orgon.
The upstanding rich patriarch, Orgon, has fallen under the spell of the smoothly convincing and presumably pious Tartuffe (Nick Sandys sporting a delicious Southern American accent worthy of a TV preacher). Orgon’s entire family (the maid including) try to convince Orgon that Tartiffe is a phony and not the reverent, sincere religious fanatic that he purports to be. But Orgon is also fanatic in his blind trust of Tartuffe. He even decides that his daughter Mariane (Erin Neal) should marry Tartuffe instead of Valere (Erik Hellman). Raymond Fox’s Cleante and Michael Patrick Sullivan’s Damis try in vain to expose Tartuffe as a charlatan.
Tartiffe is clever and suspicious but lets his true feelings be know to Elmire (Linda Gillum in a strong and commanding performance), Orgon’s wife. Tartuffe’s hold on Orgon is so intense that Orgon disowns his son Damis and signs over his entire estate to Tartuffe in an act of trust and religious penance.
But Elmire convinces Orgon to hide under the table while she traps Tartuffe into revealing his sexual desires toward her thereby exposing his hypocrisy. The stage chemistry between Linda Gillum and Nick Sandys in this seduction scene is a hoot.
Remy Bumppo’s intelligent and, at times, leaning toward camp production enlivens Moliere’s satire about a society too prone to the dangers of religious sanctimony. With pokes at the current American religious right, this 21st Century production carries its message loud and clear with many laughs along the way. This is a fun show that works on many levels.
Recommended
Tom Williams
Tom99@chicagocritic.com for comments
This show eligible for a C.S.T. Equity Theatre Award
Talk Theatre in Chicago Radio Show
January 22, 2006
Jeff Recommended
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