WVU Parkersburg Tartuffe auditions

WVU Parkersburg Theatre Department to hold open auditions for "Tartuffe."

CONTACT: Andrew Clovis, director, 304-424-8295.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

The Theatre Department at West Virginia University at Parkersburg will hold open auditions for its upcoming production of Jean Baptiste Moliere’s rollicking 1664 comedy "Tartuffe."

The auditions will be held Tuesday, (Sept. 8) from 7 to 9 p.m.; Wednesday, (Sept. 9) from 3:30 until 6:30 p.m., and Thursday (Sept. 10) from 4 to 8 p.m. Auditions will take place in the College Theatre, Room 1305. Auditions may also be arranged by appointment.

“Arguably, Moliere’s most famous play, "Tartuffe," or "The Imposter," as it is sometimes called, explores the nature of religious hypocrisy," notes the production director, Andrew Clovis. "The entire play is written in twelve-syllable lines, or alexandrines, of rhyming couplets which emphasize the humorous tone of the piece without belying the serious subject that is being satirized.”

Roles in "Tartuffe" are available for five women ranging in age from late teens to the "golden years." Five men’s roles cover the same age range. Two roles are available for either gender. As with all WVU Parkersburg Theatre Department productions, auditions are open to the community at large as well as students, staff and faculty of the university. Individuals with questions about the production should contact the Theatre Department at 304-424-8295.

As the play begins, the wealthy Orgon and his formidable mother, Madame Pernelle, have become convinced that Tartuffe is a man of true religious fervor. In fact, he is a scheming, manipulative hypocrite who controls Orgon not through lies but by encouraging Orgon’s baser nature to run roughshod over everyone else in the household. By the time Tartuffe receives his deserved comeuppance, he has gained legal control of Orgon’s finances, is on the verge of stealing his considerable wealth, has attempted to seduce his wife, and has arranged to marry his unwilling daughter, Mariane. Most of these mechanizations have occurred with Orgon’s blessing. At the very last minute, the king intervenes, and Tartuffe is condemned to prison. Additional characters include: Valere, the confused young man of Mariane’s dreams; Damis, Orgon’s hotheaded son; Cleante, Orgon’s brother, who provides a voice of skeptical reason; Flipote, Madame Pernelle’s worthless servant-girl; and Dorine, the no-nonsense, brassy and sarcastic lady’s maid.

“Every character in the piece has tremendous comic moments,” Clovis noted. “As a result of Molière's work, the term "Tartuffe" is sometimes used in to characterize a hypocrite who ostensibly and exaggeratedly feigns virtue, especially religious virtue.”

The production dates for "Tartuffe" are 8 p.m., Friday, Nov. 20 and Saturday, Nov. 21. A matinee will be staged at 2 p.m., Sunday, Nov. 22.

cd09/01/09