[NEohioPAL]Rave Review of TARTUFFE at Actors' Summit

[Thackaberr at aol.com]

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Wicked humor abounds in classic comedy
Actors' Summit version of Moliere's `Tartuffe' offers plenty of laughs
By Kerry Clawson
Beacon Journal staff writer
    
You can't help but be ``Tartufficated,'' or snared, by the wicked humor in 
Moliere's Tartuffe at Actors' Summit in Hudson.

In the classic comedy, saucy maid Dorine (Sally Groth) coins that word to 
describe how the hypocritical impostor Tartuffe has snowed over his patron, 
Orgon, and is about to sink his teeth into Orgon's daughter.

After 45 minutes of hearing Orgon's family vilify Tartuffe, we're expecting 
the devil himself. But we get a big laugh when actor Tom Fulton's Tartuffe 
finally comes burping down the stairs in a most ludicrous fashion.

Once he realizes he has an audience, the hypocrite starts mouthing off in a 
false display of piety about his hair, shirt and scourge (whip).

Under the direction of Neil Thackaberry, Fulton's Tartuffe is a man of oily 
desperation -- more ridiculous than villainous. He's unctuous in both look 
and manner, from his haphazard, oily comb-over to his lecherous advances on 
Elmire, Orgon's wife.

Tartuffe wears a huge, oversized cross around his neck and a rosary dangling 
from his belt. From his servile smile to the humorous arch of his eyebrows, 
Fulton is beguiling.

This is the kind of greasy guy who enjoys covering Elmire's bosom with a 
hanky, just as an excuse to touch her. Two wooing scenes between Tartuffe and 
Elmire contain several naughty double-entendres that both Fulton and actress 
Kristie Lang (Elmire) carry off most humorously.

Fulton provides new meaning to the words ``pregnant pause'' when his Tartuffe 
tells Elmire ``Nothing lifts my... spirits higher'' during a particularly 
heated moment.

This comedy has a couple of charades going on. In the climax, the play's 
greatest scene, Tartuffe is exposed in more ways than one.

A number of characterizations make this play great fun. Sally Groth is 
irresistibly insolent as maid Dorine, who inserts herself into all the family 
affairs. Orgon repeatedly tries to put her in her place, but we know who 
really runs the show.

The talented Groth, whose face is almost too elegantly radiant to be that of 
a maid's, is otherwise perfectly suited for this role. Dorine's teasing of 
both Orgon and the naive Mariane is relentless: This servant's quite proud of 
her sauciness. Groth lets us in on the big joke with a well-timed big wink.

Other humorous characters include Thackaberry's pig-headed Orgon and Mary 
Jane Nottage's ill-tempered Pernelle, Orgon's mother.

The only thing that threw me off in this show was Maggie Morgan's 
gaping-mouthed, vacant-eyed servant, Flipotte. This space cadet act was a bit 
overdone.

Translator Wayne Turney, an Actors' Summit actor and board member, has 
provided audiences highly accessible language with this work. Humor is 
abundant in lines such as this from maid Dorine to the young Mariane:

``A dutiful daughter mustn't be so spunky.

Even if he wants her to marry a monkey,

She must obey.''

Tartuffe, which satirizes religious hypocrisy, was scandalous to the powerful 
clergy of the 1660s. It doesn't carry near the same controversy today, but we 
can enjoy the biting comedy while admiring Moliere for being a rebel in his 
time. Moliere first performed the play before King Louis XIV in 1664. The 
piece was banned for an additional five years before it was allowed an 
official public performance.

Actors' Summit's performance is set in the Napoleonic era of the early 1800s. 
Once again, costume designer MaryJo Alexander has outdone herself with 
gorgeous empire-waist gowns that feature elaborate brocades and trims. In her 
attention to detail, she even has husband Thackaberry in a huge maroon sash 
tied over his waistcoat, Napoleonic style.

    
    


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<HTML><FONT FACE=3Darial,helvetica><P ALIGN=3DCENTER><FONT  SIZE=3D2 FAMILY=
=3D"SANSSERIF" FACE=3D"Arial" LANG=3D"0">Wicked humor abounds in classic com=
edy<BR>
<B>Actors' Summit version of Moliere's `Tartuffe' offers plenty of laughs</B=
><BR>
<P ALIGN=3DLEFT><B>By Kerry Clawson</FONT><FONT  COLOR=3D"#000000" style=3D"=
BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffffff" SIZE=3D3 FAMILY=3D"SANSSERIF" FACE=3D"Arial" LANG=
=3D"0"></B><BR>
</FONT><FONT  COLOR=3D"#000000" style=3D"BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffffff" SIZE=3D2=
 FAMILY=3D"SANSSERIF" FACE=3D"Arial" LANG=3D"0"><B>Beacon Journal staff writ=
er</FONT><FONT  COLOR=3D"#000000" style=3D"BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffffff" SIZE=
=3D3 FAMILY=3D"SANSSERIF" FACE=3D"Arial" LANG=3D"0"></B><BR>
    <BR>
You can't help but be ``Tartufficated,'' or snared, by the wicked humor in M=
oliere's <I>Tartuffe </I>at Actors' Summit in Hudson.<BR>
<BR>
In the classic comedy, saucy maid Dorine (Sally Groth) coins that word to de=
scribe how the hypocritical impostor Tartuffe has snowed over his patron, Or=
gon, and is about to sink his teeth into Orgon's daughter.<BR>
<BR>
After 45 minutes of hearing Orgon's family vilify Tartuffe, we're expecting=20=
the devil himself. But we get a big laugh when actor Tom Fulton's Tartuffe f=
inally comes burping down the stairs in a most ludicrous fashion.<BR>
<BR>
Once he realizes he has an audience, the hypocrite starts mouthing off in a=20=
false display of piety about his hair, shirt and scourge (whip).<BR>
<BR>
Under the direction of Neil Thackaberry, Fulton's Tartuffe is a man of oily=20=
desperation -- more ridiculous than villainous. He's unctuous in both look a=
nd manner, from his haphazard, oily comb-over to his lecherous advances on E=
lmire, Orgon's wife.<BR>
<BR>
Tartuffe wears a huge, oversized cross around his neck and a rosary dangling=
 from his belt. From his servile smile to the humorous arch of his eyebrows,=
 Fulton is beguiling.<BR>
<BR>
This is the kind of greasy guy who enjoys covering Elmire's bosom with a han=
ky, just as an excuse to touch her. Two wooing scenes between Tartuffe and E=
lmire contain several naughty double-entendres that both Fulton and actress=20=
Kristie Lang (Elmire) carry off most humorously.<BR>
<BR>
Fulton provides new meaning to the words ``pregnant pause'' when his Tartuff=
e tells Elmire ``Nothing lifts my... spirits higher'' during a particularly=20=
heated moment.<BR>
<BR>
This comedy has a couple of charades going on. In the climax, the play's gre=
atest scene, Tartuffe is exposed in more ways than one.<BR>
<BR>
A number of characterizations make this play great fun. Sally Groth is irres=
istibly insolent as maid Dorine, who inserts herself into all the family aff=
airs. Orgon repeatedly tries to put her in her place, but we know who really=
 runs the show.<BR>
<BR>
The talented Groth, whose face is almost too elegantly radiant to be that of=
 a maid's, is otherwise perfectly suited for this role. Dorine's teasing of=20=
both Orgon and the naive Mariane is relentless: This servant's quite proud o=
f her sauciness. Groth lets us in on the big joke with a well-timed big wink=
.<BR>
<BR>
Other humorous characters include Thackaberry's pig-headed Orgon and Mary Ja=
ne Nottage's ill-tempered Pernelle, Orgon's mother.<BR>
<BR>
The only thing that threw me off in this show was Maggie Morgan's gaping-mou=
thed, vacant-eyed servant, Flipotte. This space cadet act was a bit overdone=
.<BR>
<BR>
Translator Wayne Turney, an Actors' Summit actor and board member, has provi=
ded audiences highly accessible language with this work. Humor is abundant i=
n lines such as this from maid Dorine to the young Mariane:<BR>
<BR>
``A dutiful daughter mustn't be so spunky.<BR>
<BR>
Even if he wants her to marry a monkey,<BR>
<BR>
She must obey.''<BR>
<BR>
<I>Tartuffe, </I>which satirizes religious hypocrisy, was scandalous to the=20=
powerful clergy of the 1660s. It doesn't carry near the same controversy tod=
ay, but we can enjoy the biting comedy while admiring Moliere for being a re=
bel in his time. Moliere first performed the play before King Louis XIV in 1=
664. The piece was banned for an additional five years before it was allowed=
 an official public performance.<BR>
<BR>
Actors' Summit's performance is set in the Napoleonic era of the early 1800s=
. Once again, costume designer MaryJo Alexander has outdone herself with gor=
geous empire-waist gowns that feature elaborate brocades and trims. In her a=
ttention to detail, she even has husband Thackaberry in a huge maroon sash t=
ied over his waistcoat, Napoleonic style.<BR>
<BR>
    <BR>
    <BR>
<BR>
</P></P></FONT></HTML>
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