The 6th Street Playhouse’s presentation of Moliere’s Tartuffe is a fantastic bit of farce. Under Sherri Lee Miller’s direction the colorful characters and incredible poignancy of the 17th century play hit all the right notes. I love the intimacy of the Playhouse’s GK Hardt Theatre, where you can’t miss a trick. That’s the best thing about live theater – that you are your own lens and can watch whichever players you want.
Tartuffe is a con man who has completely beguiled Orgon, the patriarch of a wealthy family. The rest of the household has their suspicions of Tartuffe’s character but Orgon is enraptured by the supposed religious, destitute man and blindly takes him at his word. While weasling his way into the family and on the verge of winning Orgon’s daughter’s hand in marriage, Tartuffe’s shifty nature threatens his deception when he makes blatant advances on Orgon’s wife. But, his manipulations could still overthrow the whole family.
Keith Baker plays Tartuffe’s duplicity very well, alternating between simpering holy man and lustful swindler. Eric Thompson’s Orgon is just hysterical in his nearly maniacal adoration of Tartuffe. But Dorine, the maid played by Mary Gannon Graham, steals the show with wit and the pleasing show of a housemaid who sees all and is who the family looks to for help.
Tartuffe is written in rhyming couplets, where pairs of lines rhyme with each other, and luckily this production doesn’t shy away from them. It can be difficult to perform a rhyming dialogue, but it lends itself so well to the comedy. The players do well with the rhymes, avoiding stressing them and letting them flow naturally.
Leading up to the play, it was whispered around that something outrageous was on the cards in Act Two. I wouldn’t dream of spoiling it, but just have to share that little tidbit of suspense. I’ll just impart the completely improvised exclamation from the person seated behind me, “Racing stripes!” Go and see for yourself.
Tartuffe : 8 pm Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays, 2pm Saturdays and Sundays Tickets: $15-28
6th Street Playhouse – GK Hardt Theatre, 52 West 6th Street, Santa Rosa 707-523-4185
