Theatre Unleashed has announced its first Main Stage show of 2014 will be the Moliere classic Tartuffe, running March 15-April 19 at The Belfry Stage in North Hollywood.
"We have another full season that's actually a little more light-hearted, while still very timely," said Artistic Director Carlos Martinez. "With that in mind, why not start off with such a classic and brilliant comedy." In Moliere's mater work, the religious fraud Tartuffe has fooled the wealthy but naive Orgon, who is ready to award him his daughter's hand in marriage. But the wily and wicked "imposter" has his sights set on even loftier goals, including seducing his host's wife, ruining the family name and taking over the household. Theatre Unleashed is using Ranjit Bolt's daring, aggressive and rarely used translation. The company is also producing Tartuffe in association with Mad Magpie and helmed by classics master director Jeff Soroka, who is thrilled to explore the themes of obsession, control, gullibility, the absurdity of zealotry and above all, hypocrisy. "Bolt's translation is light, adept, fun, poignant and, most importantly, intelligent," he said. "Less foundational than transformative, Bolt makes the essential Moliere come alive in modern idiom. As opposed to almost all others, Bolt's translation of Tartuffe is livelier, quicker, more nimble, more irreverent and as such, utterly supports the insanity inherent in the situations presented in the script. What you are left with is a script that demands to be played brightly and with a razor-keen appreciation for the darkness that underlies the entire idea of the abdications of reason, thought, and judgment."Videos