Tartuffe: Born Again Review – Freyda Thomas’ Take on Moliere

Famed satirist Moliere penned “Tartuffe,” an uproarious tale of greed, corruption, and hypocrisy – in 1664. To add the cherry on top, the play was written in 1,962 lines of rhyming couplets. When French King Louis XIV saw it, he laughed throughout. Then he suppressed the play because his court feared that the theme – a con man who uses religion to his advantage – might be abused by others. “Tartuffe” even crept into the French language to designate a hypocrite who feigns religious virtue. Of course, banned or not (or perhaps because of), the comedy has been widely enjoyed for centuries.

David DeSantos and Michelle Jasso – Photo by Ian Flanders

But things have changed since 1664 – or have they? Over 300 years later, Moliere’s play was adapted to modern times by Freyda Thomas – and renamed TARTUFFE: BORN AGAIN. The comedy offers a hilarious contemporary spin on the original French play. The time is the 1980s, and the place is a television studio in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. A certain Mr. Tartuffe (David DeSantos) is a televangelist with big plans, including fleecing Orgon (Lynn Robert Berg) of his millions and seducing Orgon’s wife Elmire (Michelle Jasso). Even though the family maid Dorine (Tanya Alexander) and most of Orgon’s family see through Tartuffe’s machinations, Orgon doesn’t seem able to get past his “redemption” to get a handle on reality. When Orgon decides that Tartuffe and his daughter Maryann (Isabel Stallings) should wed – even though she is already promised to Valere (Ethan Haslam) – the entire family collapses into turmoil. But Tartuffe’s greed knows no bounds – so, of course, things continue to deteriorate for Orgon’s clan. What will happen to the ambitious narcissistic Tartuffe? Will he get his comeuppance?

Isabel Stallings and Lynn Robert Berg – Photo by Ian Flanders

Skillfully helmed by Melora Marshall, TARTUFFE: BORN AGAIN goes from hilarious to uproarious and then some. The ensemble cast does a superb job of milking every humorous moment from the well done, clever script – all in delightful modern rhyming couplets. Of course, nothing can beat Theatricum Botanicum’s outdoor stage on a sweeping hillside with majestic trees and clumps of bushes. This is definitely the place to be on a balmy summer evening, so be sure to bring your picnic along. But the production team tries hard to best nature with set and props by Ian Geatz, lighting by Hayden Kirschbaum, and costumes by Vicki Conrad. Music compilation, arrangements, and composition as well as sound design are by Marshall McDaniel and Kellen McDaniel.

Jonathan Blandino and Tanya Alexander – Photo by Ian Flanders

TARTUFFE: BORN AGAIN is a real audience pleaser, so get ready to chuckle and burst into outright laughter at the merry goings-on during select TARTUFFE: BORN AGAIN evenings in Topanga. This is one of their funniest productions yet!

TARTUFFE runs through October 13, 2024, with performances at 7:30 p.m. on Friday (8/30/24); at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday (7/13/24, 7/20/24, 7/27/24, 10/5/24); and at 3:30 p.m. on Sunday 8/13/24, 8/25/24, 9/22/24) and 7:30 p.m. on Sunday (8/4//24, 8/11/24, 9/15/24, 9/29/24, 10/13/24), and at 7:30 p.m. on Monday 8/30/24. Will Geer Theatricum Botanicum is located at 1419 N. Topanga Canyon Blvd., Topanga, CA 90290. Tickets are $48 (lower tier), $30 (upper tier), $60 (premium seating) with discounts for seniors, students, military veterans, teachers, AEA members ($35/$20) and children 5-5 ($15), Pay-What-You-Will is available online one week prior to the performance, or cash only at the door. For information and reservations, call 310-455-3723 or go online.