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Disclaimer:
The reviewers' opinions are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of TheatreLouisville.org. |
Peer Reviews Tartuffified
-- By Julia Leist Entire contents are copyright © 2007 Julia Leist. All rights reserved.
"To be tartuffified" truly is the fate of all who witness Walden Theatre's one hour and forty minute romp of Moliere's most revered and poignant satire on religious hypocrisy, Tartuffe. Performed by an impressive ensemble of teen-aged actors, this ever relevant play springs to life with youthful vivacity. In an age when religion seems to dictate our moral compass, this necessary piece of theatre has survived three centuries (not to mention a government ban in 1664) to offer us commentary on our susceptibility to smooth-talking scoundrels posing as messengers of god. The audience is whisked straight into the Parisian living room of one very bourgeois, one very distraught 17th Century French family. The hypocritical titular character of the play, Tartuffe, brought to life by David Laws, has slithered and conned his way into the heart and pocket book of Orgon, the blissfully ignorant head of the household. Josh Jaeger plays the aging dunce with great maturity and thoughtful humor; truly an impressive performance. Despite the reasonable reservations and protests of his wife, children, and fiery maid, Orgon is persuaded by Tartuffe's waxy veneer of moral humility. Emily Newton's brassy and confident portrayal of key adviser/pesky servant, Dorine, provides outlandish laughs and heartwarming insights into the nature of religion as the modus operandi that rules this French abode. When the family plots a crafty scheme to reveal the true nature of Tartuffe, they find themselves in a chaotic and deeply comedic pickle. Under the direction of Charlie Sexton, the current Artistic Director of Walden Theatre, the performers create stunning tableaus in the relatively small playing space of the MEX Theatre at the Kentucky Center for the Arts. Though Sexton's blocking effectively solves sight-line problems (allowing all sides of the house quality viewing) the actors' movements were often circular, repetitive, and lacking motivation. The furniture created a maze which the actors were forced to navigate. With the large number of actors occupying the stage, it would have been more effective to open up the space, providing more room for physical comedy. Subtle facial expressions are not enough to express so much humor to so large an audience in the round. The actors and the story deserve full range of motion. Richard Wilber's English translation of Moliere's masterpiece is often noted as the most complete and most effective in capturing the comedy of the original text. Like Shakespeare, the English is not common to the modern ear, so it is essential to give the audience time to warm up to the language; to drop into the world of the play. Alas, the actors set a dangerous pace right out of the gate. Not only did I suffer from verbal whiplash, but I missed key character information and plot points. Luckily, this information was repeated (oh, the genius of the playwright!). Fortunately, the young actors where skilled in making the rhyming text new and interesting, keeping their audience fully engaged. As a native Louisvillian, I am ashamed to admit this was my first Walden experience. I was surprised to find the audience comprised of teenagers in private school uniforms, messy ponytails, and t-shirts spruced up with ties -- definitely not the usual theatre scene. Surrounded by adolescent cell phone chatter and sarcastic teenage attitudes, I resigned myself to a rocky night out. To the contrary, the unique atmosphere provided for a charismatic, fun, and even funnier performance. This chutzpah translated into a solid performance inspiring rioting laughter -- especially from the two hipsters located directly behind me. Though this wasn't the most sophisticated performance that I have ever seen, I found it as enchanting as charlatan Tartuffe himself. I was unexpectedly charmed and exhilarated. With vibrant period costumes by Laura Patterson (resident costume designer of Actors Theatre of Louisville), a seasoned director, and a remarkably professional group of young actors, Walden's take on Moliere's Tartuffe is more than terrific, it's Tarturiffic. Running January 25th, 26th, and the 27th at the Kentucky Center for the Arts, it is a delight for the whole family. You can order tickets by calling the Kentucky Center Ticket Office at (502) 584-7777. So, go on, allow yourself to be tartuffified.
Tartuffe Produced by Walden Theatre Venue: Ticket Infomation:
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