Quackery, Hypochondria and Infidelity on Display in Ellicott City

The Chesapeake Shakespeare Company spices up the winter with Moliere's celebrated comedy The Imaginary Invalid. The HowardCounty theater company, known for its high energy approach to the classics, will perform a new translation of this French satirical masterpiece from February 3-19, 2006 at the HowardCountyCenter for the Arts,

 "We love comedy, and we love bringing new life to classic plays," commented Artistic Director Ian Gallanar, "and we're looking forward to producing what many consider one of the funniest plays ever written." Guest Director Ken Elston, Professor of Theatre at George Mason University and one of the country's leaders in movement training for actors (he trained and performed in France with Marcel Marceau), is bringing his expertise and exuberant style to the production. Elston has produced his own translation especially for CSC's production. While remaining true to the original's spirit and rhythms, Elston's adaptation also makes irreverent references to 21^st century issues.

 Each year, the Chesapeake Shakespeare Company produces a non-Shakespeare classic as its "Classics-in-the-Box" offering. Last year's production of Lope de Vega's Dog in the Manger was named a Best of Baltimore by City Paper.

 In The Imaginary Invalid, Moliere's final play written in 1672 (in fact, Moliere died after collapsing on stage while performing the title role), the playwright takes his sharp aim at medicine, law, paternal tyranny, miserliness, marital infidelity, self-deception and hypocrisy of every sort. His razor-edged dialogue zings with wit and the result is rowdy, hilarious good fun with a cutting and serious core.

 The title character is Argan, a man who is happy being miserable. A hypochondriac, he has surrounded himself with a phalanx of opportunistic physicians and a wife who can't wait for him to kick off. When Argan decides he needs a doctor for a son-in-law -- and insists that his daughter Angélique cast off her true love to marry one -- his long-suffering servant Toinette devises an ingenious plan to rescue her.