Gender-bending satire won't pardon its French

JULIA TIERNAN/YH Tartuffe (Chrissy Paraskevopoulos, SM'99) has been a very naughty Catholic

Tartuffe, Molière's 1878 comedy, tells the story of a dysfunctional, rich French family and its relationship with a con artist out to steal its money and sleep with its wives. In the Dramat's spring mainstage show, some prominent details have been changed, but that familiar old feeling--the hilarious cant of Molière's unmistakable prose--still remains.

Professional director Dave Mowers presents two main variations on Molière's original script and concept. Instead of portraying 19th-century French aristocracy, the setting is moved to America during the Jazz Age, giving Molière's biting social satire a more modern context.

In an even more interesting change, Mowers decides to switch the title character's gender from male to female. Tartuffe (Chrissy Paraskevopoulos, SM '99) is now a lecherous, bisexual coquette trying to get everything she can out of one rich family by pretending to be a chaste martyr.

The play focuses on the members of the large, aristocratic family and their relationship with Tartuffe, a former society queen. Orgon, the father of the family (B. Brian Argotsinger, MC '00), stands in awe of Tartuffe's rebirth as a beacon of piety and goodness, while his children are less than convinced that such a drastic change could occur in such a short time. As Orgon rearranges the dynamics of his family, financially and emotionally, to accommodate this abstract, saintly figure, his family becomes less and less willing to sacrifice its luxury for Tartuffe's pleasure.

We meet Tartuffe in the middle of the first act. She enters the room clutching a Bible, dressed entirely in white satin, and adorned with crosses. She begins by saying a number of exceedingly humble prayers. By the end of the play, she has propositioned Orgon's wife (Stacie Lents, SY '00), grabbed Orgon's son's ass (Gideon Banner, BR '99), and broken nine of the 10 Commandments. Tartuffe manages to take advantage of the family so effectively that, by the final scene, she even arranges for a bailiff (Drew Guenzer, DC '01) to evict the family from its own house.

The play is a light-hearted and entertaining social satire, made accessible by its updated setting and its snazzy jazz-age soundtrack. The production's playful tone is also captured wonderfully by the gorgeous, pastel set and vivid lighting.

Like the set, the costumes are extremely elaborate. Designed by Kevin Brainerd, they largely consist of light, airy pastels, which perfectly complement the script. Along with the beautifully executed set, the costumes are a testament to how Mowers makes excellent use of color throughout the play. In one scene, the children of the family, all of whom are clothed in bright hues, gather on one side of the stage to stand united against their father, who stands alone on the other side in an ugly, brown suit. The moment is visually striking, and one can't help but realize that the costumes are being used for a higher purpose than simply keeping the actors from being naked. Instead, visual impressions are deliberately created throughout the play to sway audience perception and aid the narrative.

Occasionally, the actors fall into recitation mode and forget to give their lines real meaning. The problem with a play written entirely in rhyme is that it makes it very easy for the audience to get trapped in the lilting cadence of the words and forget that the sounds actually mean something. Most of the time, however, the cast does a good job of maintaining the high energy level necessary for such a rambunctious script.

Minor complaints aside, the acting is generally solid and, in some cases, outstanding. Paraskevopoulos is, as usual, a tremendous actress. As Tartuffe, she spends some scenes crawling across the floor, crying, praying, and sticking her hands up skirts, creating a completely original image of warped martyrdom. In other scenes, she stands smirking, her tongue sticking out, her eyes narrowed and her chin up, with a look that, even in defeat, perfectly conveys the assured, amoral intelligence of a veteran grifter. Also excellent is Abigail Sendrow, TD '00, as the maid. Often providing the only voice of common sense in the play, she makes a perfect foil for the frivolous and gullible aristocrats.

The considerable comedic talents of Sendrow and Paraskevopoulos are harnessed to good effect by Mowers. They are backed up by a talented supporting cast, featuring especially inspired performances from Argotsinger and Lents.

The Dramat's production of Tartuffe is an inspired retelling of a classic comedy-a light, entertaining, and surprisingly modern piece of satire, performed in front of one of the most beautiful backdrops ever seen in Yale undergraduate theater.

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