Caroline Frawley

4th Wall presents charms of ‘Tartuffe’

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By John Lyle Belden

With recent seasons seeing a lot of Shakespeare, Greek classics, etc., it is fitting that a work of the celebrated French playwright Moliere makes an appearance on a local stage.

4th Wall Players presents the 1664 comedy “Tartuffe” at the Stage Door Theater in Irvington. In Moliere’s most controversial work, the title character is a blatant hypocrite and swindler, presenting himself as a devout man of God. The comic absurdity – which doesn’t seem so silly when you relate it to more recent public figures – is that those closest to the man are completely taken in by his fraudulent charms.

Household matriarch Madame Pernelle (Sarah Kinsey) is absolutely besotted with the “Holy Man” and sharply chides anyone who expresses an opinion contrary to hers, even if a person hasn’t had a moment to speak it. Her son, Orgon (Daniel Clymer), practically worships Tartuffe (Kelly McKinney), calling him “Brother,” while Orgon’s young wife Elmire (Sabrina Duprey) is more suspicious.  Orgon’s hot-headed son Damis (Alan Keith) can’t stand the man, while fair daughter Mariane (Caroline Frawley) is more concerned with her upcoming marriage to beau Valere (Ryan James Moskalick).  But now, Orgon promises Mariane’s hand to Tartuffe! And that’s not all the old fool pledges.

Meanwhile, household maid Dorine (Alyssa Lay) will not hold her tongue as she sees through the con man from the start and desperately tries to set things right. The cast also includes Omar Jurdi as Elmire’s brother, Cleante; Alex Paddock as Tartuffe’s servant, and later as the Bailiff, M. Loyal; and Justice Nielsen as Mme. Pernelle’s servant Flipote, and later as an Officer of the Court.

The play is directed by 4th Wall co-founder Josh Gibson, whose stated focus is on how devotion, especially to a charismatic person, “can and does rip otherwise happy families apart.” We definitely get a household in turmoil, like a bizarre family sitcom in search of the traditional happy-ending wedding.

We also get a tour de force performance from Lay, whose character speaks frankly from her humble station, enhancing the comic moments while making her a necessary voice of reason amongst the chaos. Also impressive is Duprey in Elmire’s desperate efforts to awaken poor Orgon to his folly, including a hilarious faux seduction of the title character. Speaking of Tartuffe, McKinney comes off appropriately slippery with “humility” lathered on so thick it’s simultaneously easy to see how some would fall for it, while wondering how a rational being ever could.

A fun look at an old story with a bit of current relevance, “Tartuffe” has one more weekend, July 19-21, at 5635 Bonna Ave., Indianapolis. Get info and tickets at 4thwallplayers.org.

‘Grand’ look at love and relationships

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By John Lyle Belden

Welcome to Grand Horizons Independent Living Community, conveniently located about an hour’s drive from Philadelphia, Pa., or Washington, D.C. In nice apartments with neighbors close at hand a retired couple like Bill and Nancy French, married 50 years, are free to do whatever they want.

Nancy: “I want a divorce.”

Bill: “Okay”

Welcome to “Grand Horizons,” the Broadway comic drama by Bess Wohl presented in its Indiana premiere by The Hyperion Players, directed by Nicole Amsler.

Bill (Chris Otterman) and Nancy (Wendy Brown) prepare for their split as if it were just another household chore, but their sons and daughter-in-law are, to put it mildly, freaking out. Brian (Matt Hartzburg), a high school theatre teacher, is beside himself, wondering if there’s some mystery illness or dementia at play. Older brother Ben (Todd Isaac), a lawyer, is stumped at the illogic of it all, while his very pregnant wife Jess (Morgan Marie French), a couples counselor, tries to employ her skillset to no avail.

There are some deep issues here, including the central couple’s affections outside their marriage – Nancy for now-deceased old flame, Hal, and Bill for new girlfriend, Carla (Cathie Morgan). There is exploration of the nature and meaning of love: Did the Frenches lose it, or ever really have it? And how has it affected their sons, who are each hopeless people-pleasers – Ben with his checkbook, and Brian with his desire to cast every kid in his class whether the roles exist or not.

Brian’s loneliness and confusion comes through in a scene where he brings home a potential one-night stand, Tommy (Austin Uebelhor), who quickly alerts him that neediness is not a turn-on.

As for Ben, he is coming to grips with the actual dysfunction in his upbringing, suddenly afraid of what it could mean as he starts a family of his own. This stress also pushes Jess to the limit.

This examination of relationships and how we feel and communicate blends moments of heartfelt memory and longing with hilarious family-sitcom punchlines. Since older-person roles are usually supporting, it was nice to see Brown and Otterman really shine as the leads. Hartzburg and Isaac portray well two men who haven’t quite emerged from their boyhood insecurities, while Morgan French shows the spark of motherhood that comes with being on the verge of bringing another life into the world, while wondering if she is the only true grownup in the room.

Caroline Frawley assistant directs, and Elianah Atwell is stage manager.

Learn how marriage is like a boa constrictor, that “the defining feature of being an adult is not doing what you want,” and to be careful with the U-Haul. Remaining performances of “Grand Horizons” are Friday through Sunday, March 22-24, at Arts For Lawrence’s Theater at the Fort, 8920 Otis Ave. Get info and tickets at hyperionplayers.com or artsforlawrence.org.