Ryan Cherry
Play: Tartuffe
Author:Moliere
Translation: T. Mooney
Directors: Chris Mangles
In Tartuffe, a comedy that exemplifies comedic banter between well rounded
characters and portrays the characters in an ironic manner in order to magnify their
flaws. The play opens with Mrs. Pernelle criticizing the women in her son’s home, for
not being pure enough and not measuring up to Tartuffe. The daughters object to Mrs.
Pernelle statements claiming that Tartuffe is not what he seems. This is setting for the
delivery and recurring theme of the play, which is: Things may not always be as they
seem. Throughout the play, many characters as well as Tartuffe are shown to be totally
different people when they are alone than when they are with Orgon.
Directors influence plays tremendously and with careful observation one can
grasp a separate meaning to the play that the director is attempting to pull off. The first
noticeable alteration to the original play is that the director used AC/DC music to draw
attention to certain aspects of the play. When I heard Highway to Hell it starkly
contrasts the holiness that is perceived of Tartuffe that is portrayed with lyrics that give
metaphor to Hell. The Music offers extra entertainment and emphasis on the scenes
intermittently throughout the play.
