“Tarutuffe” fills Bruce Owen with laughter and applause
Chase Cook
News Writing Student
An intentionally dropped pair of pants and witty comebacks filled the Bruce Owen Theater with laughter and applause on opening night Nov 19. Even performer Lauren Thomas’s twisted ankle couldn’t keep the second play of the year from going off without a hitch.
The 17th century French comedy, “Tartuffe” by Moliere, is set around a pious imposter that swindles the father of a wealthy family. Despite its serious subject, the play’s focus is humor. The actors used the English rhymed verse relevant to the time period, but their snarky comebacks and situational comedy kept the audience rolling.
An especially raucous moment occurred near the end of the play, when Tartuffe let down his trousers to seduce the mistress of the house.
The actors wore period costumes and hair pieces. The women wore corsets and large dresses that blossomed at the bottom. The men wore extravagant overcoats, knee-high socks and loafers. Each costume was topped off with a wig ranging from over-the-top curly to elegantly straight.
Assistant Director Brittany Gray said the student-actors did everything perfectly even though Thomas, who played the maid Dorine, twisted her ankle backstage.
Gray said that Thomas pulled it off really well. “I don’t think you could tell she twisted it,” she said.
Brent Noel, director of the play, said the cast of 13 rehearsed for six weeks, a week longer than normal, to practice the language thoroughly.
Cast members said the show went well.
“For opening night, it went awesome,” said Tylar Matthews, who played Cleante, the brother-in-law. “We wouldn’t be anywhere without Charlotte Rose, our costume designer. It was a great show.”
The audience echoed Matthews’s thoughts about the show with raucous laughter and generous applause.
Student Jessica Lassiter attended Nov. 19.
“It was really funny,” she said.
Another audience member, Terry Griffith, said, “It was good.”
The cast was made up of Kayla Epperson, Nicholas McDaniel, Kate Robertson, John Steele, Jessica Hoyle, John-Printes Davis, Sean Henry, Cadence Dickinson, Mitch McFarland, Ciara Lindley, Matthews and Thomas.
