Tartuffe Opens at
The Western Stage
The Western Stage continues its 30th Anniversary Season on October 22nd with Tartuffe, Molière’s classic satire of religious hypocrisy, playing through November 20th in the studio theatre, Hartnell College Performing Arts Center. Tickets are now on sale. For more information go to www.westernstage.com or call (831) 755-6816. Tartuffe plays Friday and Saturday at 8 PM, and Sunday at 2 PM. (61 Word PSA)
The Western Stage continues its Pearl Jubilee with Molière’s classic French farce, Tartuffe. Orgon, the patriarch of a prominent French family, has met a new friend at church. His name is Tartuffe, and despite his pious demeanor, there is something quite odious about this devout pauper. When Orgon invites his new friend home and begins showering his guest with all the riches he has to offer—including the hand of his daughter in marriage—the entire family begins to smell a rat. As Orgon becomes more enamored with his guest’s feigned piety, the family realizes that they must unmask Tartuffe as the self-righteous hypocrite he is before his ungodly influence on Orgon costs the family everything.
According to baptismal records, Jean-Baptiste Poquelin—who would later adopt the stage name Molière—was born in Paris sometime around 1622. He was the son of a master upholsterer who, by Appointment of His Majesty, held the honorable position of valet de chamber du roi. After attending the prestigious Jesuit school College de Clermont, Moliere earned a law degree at Orleans, but abandoned these professional pursuits in 1643 to become an actor, much to the horror of his family. Shortly after, he founded the Illustre Théâtre with his mistress, Madeleine Béjart, and took the stage name of Molière, which is how the world knows him today. Sadly, the Illustre Théâtre project quickly failed, and after serving some time in debtor’s prison, Molière found himself traveling the countryside as part of a roving theatre troupe. It was during these years that Molière learned the arts of acting, staging and playwrighting. (More on this in the supplemental article.) In October of 1658, he returned to the capitol with two plays, a tragedy by Cornielle, which failed, and one of his own farces, which became a hit. Thus, began a 15-year career of continual success, which eventually led to the honor of performing under the patronage of King Louise XIV.
Tartuffe was a scandalous play in its time. After an early three-act version was performed at a festival in Versailles on May 12, 1664, King Louise the XIV was pressured by the church to forbid Molière to produce the play in public. The French hierarchy was going through a puritanical period in the 17th Century, condemning Molière and theatre itself as sinful. One clerical writer was quoted as saying that Molière was a “demon of the flesh in men’s clothing. The most impious libertine spirit of all time.” Tartuffe is a response to those attacks. Molière argued that he did not intend to mock faith with his play, but rather the misuse of faith. Molière continued to revise Tartuffe during the ban for next five years, at which point King Louise XIV, for no apparent reason, lifted it. The revised version of Tartuffe was first performed before the public on February 6, 1669.
In spite of Molière’s success, his contentious relationship with the Church followed him to the grave. While playing a hypochondriac in his own The Imaginary Invalid, he suffered a coughing fit and was swept back to his apartment after the performance. According to legend, two nuns performed the last rites and gave him the spiritual help he required to become a good Christian before his death. However, at that time, the Church refused to bury actors on consecrated ground unless they had performed the amende honorable with a priest. But, with the help of his friends and King Louise XIV, his body was buried on holy ground under cover of darkness. Later, his tomb was moved to the Pere Lachaise Cemetary in Paris, where it rests today.
Richard Kulhman (Tortilla Flat 2001, Of Mice and Men, 2002) returns to The Western Stage to direct this classic French Farce.
Tickets for Tartuffe are $17 for adults, $14 for seniors/students/Military, and are available by calling The Western Stage Ticket Office at 831-755-6816 or on our website at www.westernstage.org. Group rates are available. Tartuffe plays Friday and Saturday nights at 8PM and Sundays at 2pm from October 22nd-November 20th, 2004. Due to campus construction, we recommend parking in the West Alisal Street lots between San Vincente Avenue & Amherst Drive.
The Western Stage concludes its season in December with the holiday show Into the Woods Junior, featuring some of Monterey County’s best young performers in a fairy tale musical that asks if there is really such a thing as “happily ever after.”
Dan Tarker, Literary Associate
Directed by Richard Kuhlman
Scenic Design by Lynne Willis
Light Design: Derek Duarte
Costume, Makeup & Hair Design by Jen Marrazzo
Sound Design by Tony Tissot
Stage Management by Jeffery Buckley
CAST
Madame Pernelle…………………………. Maria-Elena Cordero
Orgon……………………………………Jim McLean
Elmire …………………………… Deborah Curtis
Damis…………………………… …Troy Osteraa
Mariane……………………………Katie Anderson
Valere…...…………………………Ryan Tasker
Cleante…………………………. Peter Eberhardt
Tartuffe………………………………Jeff McGrath
Dorine…………………………….Dawn Flood
Monsieur Loyal/Officer……….……………Dan Tarker
Flipote……………………………A Small Dog
Laurent……………………………Victor James