Cup-A-Jo’s latest production is one of Moliere’s most famous theatrical comedies, Tartuffe. Adapted by Richard Wilbur, Tartuffe follows a family who is desperate to expose an outwardly pious man for the deceitful and egregious person he is. Melodramatic and farcical, Tartuffe is a brilliant piece of theater that makes for a fun evening filled with laughter and heart.
Tartuffe centers around a family who is at their wits end with the head of their house, Orgon, for being blindsided and swindled by his friend and confidant, Tartuffe. A name that quite literally translate to, “a religious hypocrite,” Tartuffe has made Orgon believe him to be a pious, giving, and humble man, when in reality he is anything but. Everyone in the house is able to see through his masquerade besides Orgon, who chooses Tartuffe over his family time and time again. The family desperately tries to get Orgon to open his eyes to Tartuffe’s treachery before it’s too late.
The play is performed at the Irma Freeman Center for Imagination. Upon walking into the building, you’ll find all of the actors are sitting in the lobby behind large foldout tables and lines of thick tape. Anything behind the tape represents the backstage area, so while off limits to audience members, you get a chance to see the actors preparing for the show. The theater space is rather small, so you end up being right up close and personal to the action, which I thoroughly enjoyed. You feel like you are a fly on the wall watching the family drama progress.
The costumes, makeup, sets, and props are kept relatively simple for this production. The actors are all in black, with one or two articles of clothing to differentiate between the characters. The makeup is reminiscent of 17th/18th century French plays, with white painted faces, red lips, and beauty marks. The set consisted only of a table and a small couch/chaise lounge. Even though this production went with a minimal approach, I found it worked rather well, and left it up to the actors to make the story come to life.
Tartuffe has a tremendous set of actors who bring humor, wit, and character to each of their roles. I’m going to stick to my personal highlights, but know the entire cast deserves nothing but praise. Marsha Mayhak is utterly delightful as the clever maid, Dorine. She’s sharp, sassy, and overly sarcastic, and it’s such a joy to watch her navigate through the family drama. Joe Cannito and Maura Underwood play an amazing Orgon and Elmire. There’s one scene in particular that was incredibly fun to watch, and showed how much they were enjoying themselves in these roles. Of course I could not fail to mention Tartuffe himself, played by Everett Lowe. From the second he’s on stage Lowe goes all the way with his performance, and his over-the-top dramatics is exactly what this character needs. You can’t help but laugh anytime he’s on stage, and his performance completely sold me on this show. The cast of Tartuffe was great in that they all knew exactly when to be over-dramatic and when to play it straight. I think they captured the essence of the show perfectly, and played these roles with flying colors.
This show was completely unexpected and a true pleasure to watch. The show itself is hilarious, and it’s supported by a phenomenal cast that is able to bring the story and characters to life. If you’re looking for a fun show, performed by an astounding group of actors, I would highly recommend heading down to the Irma Freeman Center and seeing Tartuffe.
Tartuffe plays at the Irma Freeman Center for Imagination through August 31.
Jade Goodes is a graduate of Penn State University where she received her degree in English. While attending Penn State she became the Managing Editor for the school’s literary & arts magazine, Absence. Jade has been involved with the Pittsburgh theater community since elementary school, and has performed in many productions over the years. In her free time she enjoys reading and attending all the concerts she can.
Categories: Archived Reviews