MSU Theatre performs classic comedic theatre with Molière’s “Tartuffe”

After a theatrical season that has given us a harrowing true-life tale (“Terra Nova”) and a musical based on an Oscar-winning classic from the ‘90s (“Ghost: The Musical”), MSU Theatre is going back to portray a work of classic comedic theatre from one of the art form’s greatest playwrights when it performs Molière’s “Tartuffe.”

“Tartuffe” will be performed at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 14, 15, 16, 21, 22 and 23; and at 2 p.m. on Feb. 17 and 24 at The Lucille Caudill Little Theatre in Breckinridge Hall.

The play follows the story of Orgon, a wealthy war hero who falls prey to the charisma and charm of a fraudulent preacher and con man named Tartuffe. Tartuffe intends to work his way into Orgon’s circle of trust to gain access to his fortune – no matter what his family suspects about him.

Natasha Davis, associate professor of dance at MSU, said while MSU Theatre enjoys producing more contemporary theatre like the works MSU Theatre has put on earlier this season, she still believes classic works like “Tartuffe” remain valuable to their education.

“Knowing their history. Their theatre history. That’s the biggest benefit,” she said. “You’ve got to know where you came from to know what you are doing now.”

Davis said what has been simultaneously the biggest highlight and challenge of this production is the requirements that come with a play set in the 16th century. She said everything from costuming and hairstyles to dialect and posture are all being meticulously studied and rehearsed by the MSU student-performers. But Davis said while audiences may be far removed from that time period, there’s plenty about “Tartuffe” that is timeless theatre.

To learn more about MSU’s Department of Music, Theatre and Dance, contact 606-783-2473, mtd@moreheadstate.edu or visit www.moreheadstate.edu/theatre.