Back by popular demand for two nights only, Valley Shakespeare Festival will continue its popular Shakespeare in the Bar series at Porky’s Café, 50 Center St. in Shelton on Thursday and Friday, March 10 and 11 with Moliere’s outrageous and bawdy comedy “Tartuffe.”
You know the sparks are going to fly when the subtitle of the play you are about to witness is “The Hypocrite.”
And that’s exactly what lucky audience members will experience when they settle into their seats in Porky’s intimate upstairs barroom.
Porky’s is the perfect venue for VSF’s “Bar” series and the shows have become so popular that Porky’s owners have graciously allowed VSF to expand the program from one to two consecutive nights.
The play was originally written in 17th century French verse, but Valley Shakespeare Festival will be presenting a modern English translation, adapted for the bar series by VSF Artistic Director, Tom Simonetti. Although it, too, is in verse, it uses the modern English vernacular, making it very accessible to contemporary audiences.
Tartuffe, the title character, is nothing less than a lying, lecherous, low-life scoundrel posing as a poor, humble, holy man. He has completely hoodwinked wealthy gentleman Orgon into welcoming him into his home and family, much to the horror and disgust of the rest of the household. Only Orgon and his mother are duped by him, though; Orgon’s wife, daughter, son, brother-in-law, even his maid, see right through the fraud and never miss an opportunity to point it out. During the course of this fast-talking, fast-moving comedy, Tartuffe nearly manages to con Orgon out of his money, property, his daughter’s hand in marriage and his wife!
To see how it all unfolds, and whether or not Tartuffe gets his just reward, join Valley Shakespeare Festival for its presentation of this raucous, rowdy and irreverent look at 17th century French morality in a very 21st century dysfunctional family.
Doors open at 6 p.m., performance begins at 7 p.m. Admission is $20 per person for table seats and $15 per person for general seats. Visit www.vsfestival.org or call 203 – 513-9446 for more information and to purchase tickets.
Valley Shakespeare Festival is a 501©(3) tax-exempt non-profit theater company dedicated to bringing free and low-cost theater to the communities of the lower Naugatuck Valley
