Sisters Mariane (Torrey Berkson) and Damis (Jennifer Ewing)

are presented with a litany of Tartuffe’s sins as observed by Dorine the maid (Denise Fleener),

in Key City Players’ production of “Tartuffe” by Molière, opening April 20 and running through May 12.
Photo by Shelly Randall
 

Hypocrisy cannot hide in Molière’s “Tartuffe”

Classic French comedy opens at Key City Playhouse

 Port Townsend, Wash.—Key City Players presents David Wayne Johnson in the title role of “Tartuffe,” a masterwork by France’s most celebrated comic playwright. The mainstage show opens Friday, April 20, and runs for four weekends.

 Molière’s comedy, with its focus on the issue of religious hypocrisy, was highly controversial at the time it was written in 1664 and was banned from public performance for five years.

 “Plays that cause a fuss are always worth doing,” says director Denise Kenney, “and ‘Tartuffe’ remains outrageously relevant today.”

 Assisted by Lawrason Driscoll, Kenney deftly interprets the “rich and funny material” provided by Molière, of whom Margaret Webster has said, “in his own language he is as towering a figure as Shakespeare is in ours.”

 Johnson has tickled audiences in the past with his fiendishly funny portrayals of Mozart in “Amadeus,” the demented dentist in “The Little Shop of Horrors,” and many more. In “Tartuffe,” he is joined by 10 well-cast colleagues that include Doug Taylor as Orgon, Brenda French as Orgon’s wife Elmire, and Sam Cavallaro as the young man Valere who is betrothed to their daughter Mariane.

 Torrey Berkson plays the beautiful Mariane, and Denise Fleener plays Dorine, Mariane’s handmaid. It is a treat to see the talented mother-daughter duo of Fleener and Berkson appearing together in a Key City Players mainstage production for the first time.

 Also appearing are Jay Page as Cléante, Jennifer Ewing as Damis, Annod Bickley as Madame Pernelle, Kathi Taylor as Madame Loyal, and Michael Anthony Hinojos as the King’s Guardsman.

 Kenney sets this production in the land of adult fairy tales, with fantastical costumes and set design, and dynamic staging.

 “Tartuffe” details the near-disastrous consequences of Orgon taking in a saintly stranger by the name of Tartuffe. Orgon is so deceived by his guest’s outward appearance of extreme piety and religious devotion that he plans to force his daughter to break her engagement and marry Tartuffe, and to disinherit his firstborn in order to make Tartuffe the sole heir to his fortune. What Orgon cannot see, although his family members certainly can, is that Tartuffe is an imposter, secretly leading a life of crime and immoral behavior.

 “Tartuffe” runs April 20-May 12 at the Key City Playhouse, 419 Washington St., Port Townsend. Performances are Thurs., Fri. and Sat. at 8 p.m.; Sun. at 2:30 p.m. General admission is $12; $10 for students. For the pay-what-you-wish performance Thurs., April 26, advance tickets are available at full price and donations are accepted at the door for the remaining seats on a first-come, first-serve basis.

 Informal “AfterWords” discussions with the artistic staff and cast follow Thursday and Sunday performances.

 All advance ticket sales are handled by Quimper Sound Music and Media, 230 Taylor St., Port Townsend; www.quimpersound.com. 2007 FLEXpass vouchers, member and gift passes may be exchanged for tickets at Quimper Sound.

 Theatre patrons are encouraged to secure tickets well in advance, as seats are limited in Key City’s intimate playhouse and the performances on April 20 and 21 are already sold out. For information about group sales and subscription packages, call Key City Players at 360-379-0195, or visit www.keycitypublictheatre.org.

 Key City Players is funded in part by a generous grant from the Port Townsend Arts Commission.

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