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<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><b style><span style="color:windowtext">Farcical
THE IMAGINARY INVALID should delight many at Great Lakes Theatre</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span style="color:windowtext"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:windowtext">Roy Berko</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:windowtext">(Member, American Theatre
Critics Association and Cleveland Critics Circle)</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span style="color:windowtext"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:6.0pt;text-autospace:none"><span style="color:windowtext">Jean Baptiste Poquelin,
better known to the Western world as Moliére, was a seventeenth century French dramatist
who wrote penetrating satirical comedies. In an era when the theatre mostly
centered on pastoral plays, divertissements, and neoclassic tragedies, he upset
many by taking on social and societal issues and groups, such as health care, the
upper class, the clergy, doctors, and anti-women’s groups. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:6.0pt;text-autospace:none"><span style="color:windowtext">When he died in 1673, in what
turned out to be a scandal over whether he was poisoned by the court composer
with whom he had recently had a falling out, the church leaders refused to
officiate or grant his body formal burial.<span style> </span>It wasn’t until seven years later, when the ban was lifted
by the King, that he was forgiven and honored by having the French national
theatre, The House of Moliére, named after him.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:6.0pt;text-autospace:none"><span style="color:windowtext">His plays include THE SCHOOL
FOR WIVES, THE MISER, THE MISANTHROPE and THE DOCTOR IN SPITE OF HIMSELF.<span style> </span>His last, and probably one of his most
popular scripts was THE IMAGINARY INVALID.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:6.0pt;text-autospace:none"><span style="color:windowtext">As originally conceived, THE
IMAGINARY INVALID was a comedy-ballet, with dance sequences and musical
interludes. <span style> </span>It concerns Argan, a hypochondriac
afraid of all diseases, and the possessor of all disease. <span style> </span>Moliére himself played the main role in
the first staging, coughing up real blood during the show’s fourth performance,
and dying later that evening.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:6.0pt;text-autospace:none"><span style="color:windowtext">In its revised version, now
on stage at Great Lakes Theatre, as created by director Tracy Young, playwright
Oded Gross and composer Paul James Prendergast, the script becomes a farcical,
60s pop culture romp.<span style> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:6.0pt;text-autospace:none"><span style="color:windowtext">In this version, Argan is
still a hypochondriac, afraid of all diseases and the<span style> </span>treated by quacks, but, according to the director, instead
of just focusing on medical issues, it encourages viewers to “ask how do we
each chose to live.”<span style> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:6.0pt;text-autospace:none"><span style="color:windowtext">Incorporated into the action
is commedia staging, which is free form physical antics.<span style> </span>This type of farcical theatre is associated
with slapstick, running into walls and doors, and broad and unrealistic
characters and characterizations.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:6.0pt;text-autospace:none"><span style="color:windowtext">The story concerns Argan, his
doctors, uninhibited maid, unfaithful wife, unscrupulous lawyer, two daughters,
the older daughter’s suitor and her arranged for fiancé, and his brother.<span style> </span>There’s also lots of singing and
dancing, much of which doesn’t fit smoothly into the plot.<span style> </span>That’s part of the design, since, except
for its slight message, this isn’t supposed to be finite story telling.<span style> </span><span style> </span>It is intended to be entertainment, for entertainment’s sake.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:6.0pt;text-autospace:none"><span style="color:windowtext">Under director Young’s
guidance, the cast has a wonderful time and so does much of the audience.<span style> </span>She directs with a broad brush,
creating lots of easy to laugh at shticks.<span style> </span>Reality is not the issue, getting guffaws is and nothing
works better than the narcoleptic lawyer’s constant passing out each time he
tells one of his many lies, resulting in falling upside down from a ladder,
running into doors, and smashing to the floor with regularity. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:6.0pt;text-autospace:none"><span style="color:windowtext">The show’s first act is very
long and drags.<span style> </span>The second act is much
more fun and has better focus.<span style> </span>For
those used to Moliére’s comedy style, adjusting to the outlandish farce, which
begs for laughs, takes a little getting used to.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:6.0pt;text-autospace:none"><span style="color:windowtext">Tom Ford’s Argan is a mash-up
of Nathan Lane, Paul Lynde and Truman Capote.<span style> </span>He’s outlandishly dear and fun!<span style> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:6.0pt;text-autospace:none"><span style="color:windowtext">Sara Bruner as Toinette, his impudent
servant, is a total joy who makes Argan into a perfect foil for their Abbott
and Costello-like routines.<span style> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:6.0pt;text-autospace:none"><span style="color:windowtext">Lovely Kimbe Lancaster is
ingénue-right as Angelique, Argan’s youngest daughter, while Jodi Dominick
rings laughs as the hunchbacked older daughter (Louison).<span style> </span>Her scenes with pot-bellied nebbish
Thomas Diafopirus (portrayed by Ian Gould), Angelique’s intended suitor, are
hilarious. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:6.0pt;text-autospace:none"><span style="color:windowtext">David Anthony Smith (Argan’s
brother, Beralde) plays with the audience with direct interactions, including
creating a song based on the input of a first row audience member.<span style> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:6.0pt;text-autospace:none"><span style="color:windowtext">Lynn Robert Berg begs for
laughs as Doctor Purgon, one of the manipulating physicians.<span style> </span>Juan Rivera Lebron carries off the role
of Cleante, a florist and Angelique’s other suitor, well.<span style> </span>If J. Todd Adams (Monsieur De
Bonnefoit, the lawyer) makes it through the play’s run without seriously
hurting himself for all his falling and wall smashing into, it will be a wonder.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:6.0pt;text-autospace:none"><span style="color:windowtext">Kent Roht’s choreography,
though not overly creative, works adequately well, as does Paul James
Prendergast’s original music. <span style> </span>Christopher Acebo’s art moderne set and costume designs fit
the mood and era.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:6.0pt;text-autospace:none"><i style><span style="color:windowtext">Capsule judgement: <span style> </span>Tracy Young’s direction and the efforts
of her cast pay off in a presentation of THE </span></i><span style="color:windowtext">IMAGINARY INVALID that, from the reactions of the
opening night audience, pleased many. <span style> </span>On the other hand, </span><span style="color:windowtext">Moliére
purists, and those who think comedy is comedy and not farce, will probably not
be overjoyed.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:6.0pt;text-autospace:none"><span style="color:windowtext">An
excellent Teacher Preparation Guide has been prepared by Daniel Hahn and Kelly
Schaffer Florian to aid teachers in leading discussions about THE IMAGINARY
INVALID.<span style> </span>For information or copy
send an email to <u><a href="mailto:Dhahn@greatlakestheater.org">Dhahn@greatlakestheater.org</a></u>.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:6.0pt;text-autospace:none"><i style><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style";color:#c0504d">Roy Berko's blog, which contains theatre and dance reviews from
2001 through 2012, can be found at <span style><span style><a href="http://www.royberko.info">www.royberko.info</a></span></span>. His reviews
and commentary can also be found on <span style><span style><a href="http://www.coolcleveland.com">www.coolcleveland.com</a></span></span> and
www.NeOHIOpal, Broadwaynews.com and ArtsAmerica.org.</span></i><span style="color:windowtext"></span></p>
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