Tartuffe
although it was found to be extremely diverting, the king recognized so much conformity between those that a true devotion leads on the path to heaven and those that a vain ostentation of some good works does not prevent from committing some bad ones, that his extreme delicacy to religious matters can not suffer this resemblance of vice to virtue, which could be mistaken for each other; although one does not doubt the good intentions of the author, even so he forbids it in public, and deprived himself of this pleasure, in order not to allow it to be abused by others, less capable of making a just discernment of it.When Orgon enters the room and Damis triumphantly tells him what happened, Tartuffe uses reverse psychology and accuses himself of being the worst sinner: Oui, mon frère, je suis un méchant, un coupable.The surprise twist ending, in which everything is set right by the unexpected benevolent intervention of the heretofore unseen king, is considered a notable modern-day example of the classical theatrical plot device deus ex machina.Though Tartuffe was received well by the public and even by Louis XIV, it immediately sparked conflict amongst many different groups who were offended by the play's portrayal of someone who was outwardly pious but fundamentally mercenary, lecherous, and deceitful; and who uses their profession of piety to prey on others.[15] Although the original version could not be played publicly, it could be given privately,[15] and it was seen on 25 September 1664 in Villers-Cotterêts, for Louis' brother Philippe I, Duke of Orléans, aka Monsieur and 29 November 1664 at the Château du Raincy, for the veteran of the Fronde, Armand de Bourbon, Prince of Conti.The cast included Michael O'Sullivan as Tartuffe, Sada Thompson as Dorine, Salome Jens as Elmire, Hal Holbrook as M. Loyal, John Phillip Law as King's Officer, Laurence Luckinbill as Damis and Tony Lo Bianco as Sergeant.[20] The National Theatre Company performed a production in 1967 using the Richard Wilbur translation and featuring John Gielgud as Orgon, Robert Stephens as Tartuffe, Jeremy Brett as Valere, Derek Jacobi as The Officer and Joan Plowright as Dorine.[21] A production of Richard Wilbur's translation of the play opened at the Circle in the Square Theatre in 1977, with John Wood as Tartuffe, and co-starring Tammy Grimes as Elmire, Stefan Gierasch as Orgon, Ray Wise as Damis, Swoosie Kurtz as Mariane and Patricia Elliott as Dorine.The production included Antony Sher as Tartuffe, Nigel Hawthorne as Orgon, Mark Rylance as Damis, Alison Steadman as Elmire, Stephanie Fayerman as Dorine and David Bradley as Cleante.[24] A translation by Ranjit Bolt was staged at London's Playhouse Theatre in 1991 with Abigail Cruttenden, Paul Eddington, Jamie Glover, Felicity Kendal, Nicholas Le Prevost, John Sessions and Toby Stephens.[25] Bolt's translation was later staged at London's National Theatre in 2002 with Margaret Tyzack as Madame Pernelle, Martin Clunes as Tartuffe, Clare Holman as Elmire, Julian Wadham as Cleante and David Threlfall as Orgon.[28] The Royal Shakespeare Company produced a new version by Anil Gupta and Richard Pinto which relocated the story to the modern-day Pakistani-Muslim community of Sparkhill, Birmingham.Tan's version adds a new plot twist: Valère's engagement to Mariane is a lavender marriage to cover up his torrid affair with Damis and her desire to become an independent woman.
EldmireTartuffe (disambiguation)19th-centurycostume designMolièreComedyFrenchVersaillesfêtesKing Louis XIVarchbishop of ParisPaul Philippe Hardouin de Beaumont de Péréfixeconfessorhypocritevirtuealexandrinesrhyming coupletsLa GrangeBéjartArmande Béjart-MolièreMadeleine BéjartLa ThorillièreFrondereverse psychologyLouis XIVtwist endingdeus ex machinaFrench Roman Catholic ChurchCompagnie du Saint-SacrementPéréfixeGuillaume de LamoignonParis ParlementexcommunicatedaristocracycontroversyFrançois de La Mothe Le VayerridiculesatiricalanticlericalLa CalottePalace of VersaillesfestivitiesLes Plaisirs de l'île enchantéeJohn CairncrossVillers-CotterêtsPhilippe I, Duke of OrléansChâteau du RaincyArmand de Bourbon, Prince of ContiThéâtre du Palais-RoyalComédie-Françaisetheatre practitionerConstantin StanislavskiMikhail KedrovANTA Washington Square TheatreMichael O'SullivanSada ThompsonSalome JensHal HolbrookJohn Phillip LawLaurence LuckinbillTony Lo BiancoNational Theatre CompanyRichard WilburJohn GielgudRobert StephensJeremy BrettDerek JacobiJoan PlowrightCircle in the Square TheatreJohn WoodTammy GrimesStefan GieraschRay WiseSwoosie KurtzPatricia ElliottRoyal Shakespeare CompanyChristopher HamptonThe Pit TheatreAntony SherNigel HawthorneMark RylanceAlison SteadmanDavid BradleyRanjit BoltPlayhouse TheatreAbigail CruttendenPaul EddingtonJamie GloverFelicity KendalNicholas Le PrevostJohn SessionsToby StephensMargaret TyzackMartin ClunesClare HolmanJulian WadhamDavid ThrelfallTheatre de la Jeune LuneBerkeley Repertory TheatreSouth Coast RepertoryShakespeare Theatre CompanyRoger McGoughLiverpool PlayhouseRose Theatre, KingstonAnil GuptaPakistaniMuslimSparkhillBirminghamSwan Theatre, Stratford-upon-AvonBirmingham Repertory TheatreW!ld RiceJoel TanHerr TartüffF. W. MurnauEmil JanningsLil DagoverWerner KraussGérard DepardieuLe tartuffeFrench filmThe Old Vic TheatreTyrone GuthrieDallasBell Shakespeare CompanyJustin Fleming