From a press release:
Montford Park Players opens Tartuffe on July 4
The Montford Park Players proudly announce our next free show, Tartuffe, our first production of a work by Molière. Presented in the celebrated verse translation by Richard Wilbur, it’s directed by Steven Samuels, the artistic director of Asheville’s Magnetic Theatre, and features an exciting blend of actors from both companies, including Magnetic regulars Darren Marshall, in the title role, Tracey Johnston-Crum, and Samuels himself, who takes on the role of Orgon, the role Molière created for himself. Marshall has worked with both companies, as have fellow cast members Samantha Stewart (who also assistant directs), Elizabeth Dana-Wunderlich, and Jason Williams. Peter Lundblad, of The Magnetic, has never before graced the MPP stage, and Montford veteran Terry Darakjy has never previously played with The Magnetic. Sarah Felmet appears for the first time with either company, and Mathew Harper makes his Asheville stage debut.
Molière is arguably the world’s greatest comic dramatist and Tartuffe is arguably his greatest play. Tartuffe (1669) was the script he labored over longest and fought hardest for, because it was and sometimes still is mischaracterized as an attack on religion. For five years, public performances were banned.
“But the play isn’t an attack on religion,” according to Samuels. “It attacks hypocrisy in many forms. Molière rewrote the play repeatedly, hoping to overcome the censors. The second version was called The Impostor, which better defines who and what Tartuffe is.”
With a set by Art Moore, costumes by Kayren McKnight, lighting by Jason Williams, props by Elizabeth Dana-Wunderlich, and choreography by Kristi DeVille, Tartuffe is the perfect entertainment for a summer’s night. It plays Friday through Sunday, July 4-July 26, at 7:30 PM, at the Hazel Robinson Amphitheatre, located at 92 Gay Street in Asheville. More information can be found by calling (828) 254-5146 or online at www.montfordparkplayers.org
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