USF student theater group presents "Tartuffe"
The University of St. Francis student theater group, the Sometimes Thespians, will present Molière’s "Tartuffe" on Nov. 4 – 7.
The play will be at 7:30 p.m. on Nov. 4, 5 and 6 and at 3 p.m. on Nov. 7. All shows are in the university’s Moser Performing Arts Center studio theater. The University of St. Francis is at 500 Wilcox St. in Joliet.
Tickets are $8 for adults and $5 for students and senior citizens. For information or ticket reservations, call (815) 740-3404.
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Cast of
Tartuffe (left to right): Arturo Insurriga,
Megan Kearney, Amar William and Stacy Hogan.
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Set in the realm of 17th-century Parisian high society during the reign of King Louis XIV, "Tartuffe", a comedy in five acts, relates the story of an attempt, by an irreclaimable hypocrite, to destroy the domestic happiness of a citizen who is charmed by his seeming piety.
Orgon (Amar William of Wheaton), a wealthy family man, takes in a stranger by the name of Tartuffe (Joe Zordon of Chicago) to stay in his home. Orgon offers Tartuffe his best food and drink and places the needs of his guest above those of his wife Elmire (Megan Kearney of Frankfort) and his children. He plans to force his daughter Mariane (Stacy Hogan of Plainfield) to marry Tartuffe and to disinherit his son Damis (Arturo Insurriga of Munster, Ind.) in order to make Tartuffe the sole heir to his fortune. All of Orgon's friends and family, including his mother Mme Pernelle (Sera O’Connor of Monee) and his brother-in-law Cleante (Kevin Leonard of Palos Park) regard Tartuffe as a con man who only pretends to be of the highest moral authority but who does not practice what he preaches. Orgon is warned that Tartuffe may be deceiving him in order to gain both financially and socially, but Orgon is blind to these warnings.
Chris Guigler of Joliet plays Valere, who is in love with Orgon’s daughter. Jessica Jannusch of Robbinsdale, Minn. plays Dorine, Mariane’s ladymaid and Anna Boehl of Virden plays M. Loyal, the baliff. David Murray of Franklin Park plays the police officer, and Mme Perenelle’s maid, Flipote is played by Carrie Monaco of Aurora.
"The audience will be thoroughly entertained by Molière’s deliciously funny social satire," said Daina Giesler, director of "Tartuffe." "It caused a scandal in its day and we are still fascinated by greed, hypocrisy and seduction."
Giesler has directed the Sometimes Thespians in four previous shows: "Lady Windemere’s Fan," "Dancing at Lughnasa," Iphigenia at Aulis," and "Cabaret."
The University of St. Francis serves 4,300 students nationwide. The university offers more than 60 areas of undergraduate study and 10 graduate programs.