‘Imposter! Hypocrite! TARTUFFE!’ @ Circle Theatre

Production photos by TanStan Photography

—Jan Farrington

Holy Molière, what fun!

At Circle Theatre, in a whirl of cotton-candy pink and delightful overacting, playwright and director Ashley H. White finds a modern way with a 17th-century French comedy classic that’s an over-the-top joy—with an edge of social comment that feels right at home in our century too.

Imposter! Hypocrite! TARTUFFE! is White’s imaginative re-do of the Molière play—the story of a religious con man (Tartuffe) who bamboozles a wealthy Parisian father (Orgon) and his old mother (Mrs. P) into thinking he’s God’s only messenger on earth—much to the dismay of the rest of the household (wised-up young-adult children Mariane and Damis, devoted second wife Elmire, clever maid Dorine, and clear-eyed uncle Cleante—got it?). They know Tartuffe is after Orgon’s wealth and position, and see him taking a creepy interest in the ladies of the house. What’s he up to?

Dad’s in a bubble, listening only to the “truth” Tartuffe lets him hear. He’s outraged that the rest of them can’t see the holy man’s sterling qualities—and of course it’s right to donate money to every pious project Tartuffe pretends to run. Son Damis, who should take charge of the situation, is a loving hothead (or as Dorine says, “useless in a crisis”). How can they stop him?

The look of the production is dazzlingly period, but in an offbeat way, and that gives White’s more modern vernacular room to breathe and amuse. Designer Jessie Wallace’s costumes are an ornate mix of velvets, lace and brocades, with a touch of commedia dell’arte whimsy tossed into Mariane’s frou-frou ballet outfit and the whiteface makeup—with disturbing cracks in his eggshell surface—that sets Tartuffe apart from the other (actually human?) characters onstage. Jeff Stanfield’s pink, extravagant salon design (Jennye James’ scenic painting is a treat too) has plenty of hidey holes for peeping and popping up, and Grandmere’s amazing wig (by Laura Anderson Barbata) is almost a set design in itself.

White’s skill at blending the serio- and the comic calls for perfect tone and deft acting, and the cast delivers—beginning with some pre-show forays into the audience, where they tease and flirt and generally schmooze us into the light-hearted mode of the play. And onstage, “Maestro” Adam C. Wright adds to the fun with original music that backgrounds and punctuates the action. (He’s almost a character, the actors bounce off him enough.)

Zac Reynolds is perfectly awful (aka great) as the charlatan religious man, his small tight smile as unsettling as his quick menacing rages. Tartuffe comes too close to everyone, whether he’s trying to hit on the ladies or filling Orgon’s ear with self-serving ideas. Far from being an overtly scary Rasputin type, Reynold’s Tartuffe is slight and jittery—though when he gets a grip on an iron cross, everyone backs up a bit.

Michael Phillip Thomas’s Orgon is sweetness and light to his “guru” Tartuffe—but like a proper gentleman, flies into rages if his family questions his wisdom. He spends his money and time on Tartuffe, not on his devoted and loyal wife (Christine Sanders)—and ignores her spot-on warnings. Sanders is both touching and fainting-couch funny as the sighing Elmire, wishing Orgon would return to her “as he once was” but still a loving, huggable stepmom to his children. Savvy servant Dorine (Kathy Trageser) is hilariously disrespectful (but full of ideas); as mentioned earlier, son Damis (bright-eyed Carson Wright) is a well-meaning ditz; and while smart Uncle Cleante (Scott Nixon) is a stand-up fellow…he’s maybe not the “fixer” this mess needs.

So, as we’re running out of characters…what about Mariane (the expressive and funny Janina Jaraczewski)?

We know she’s young, she’s in love with a guy named Valere (the script never bothers to bring the boy onstage), and she never gets a word in, edgewise or otherwise. Every time Mariane opens her mouth, a guy cradles her in a headlock and murmurs, “Hush, hush, my dear.” And we can tell from Jaraczewski’s frustrated, enough-already face that something’s gotta give…maybe.

Could Mariane have a say in the story, after all these centuries—some 2lst-century “agency” involving her brains, her ideas, her dreams for the future? Is White weaving a “twist” into her adaptation of Moliere’s old story?

Again, I say…maybe.

Something new might be happening in this Tartuffe. Tucked in among the laugh lines and jabs, between the chases, the pratfalls, the raging grannies (who IS that large woman?), the ooky seduction scenes, and the crowd under the dining table….Could The Girl be getting ready for her Moment?

WHEN: August 1-24, 2024
WHERE: Circle Theatre, 230 W. Fourth Street, Fort Worth
WEB: circletheatre.com