S TU DY GUIDE
Tartuffe
By Molière
Translated by Richard Wilbur
Feb 15 – May 24, 2014
Source: Set Design by Frederica Nascimento
California’s Home for the Classics
Tartuffe
Study Guide Table of Contents
3
Tartuffe: Characters
5
Molière: Biography
4
6
7
8
10
11
12
13
16
19
20
21
About the Play: Synopsis
Molière: Timeline & Works
Molière: Verse Format & Rhyme Scheme
Molière: Themes
Interview with Director
About the Production: Scenic Design
About the Production: Lighting Design
A Memorable Imposter
Questions and Activities
Resource Guide
About Theatre Arts & Key Terms
About A Noise Within
A NOISE WITHIN’S EDUCATION PROGRAMS MADE POSSIBLE IN PART BY:
The Ahmanson Foundation, Alliance for the Advancement of Arts & Education, Lourdes Baird, The Sheri & Les Biller Family Foundation,
The Capital Group Companies Charitable Foundation, Kathleen & James Drummy, Sharon & Rick Ellingsen, Employees Community Fund of
Boeing California, The Green Foundation, Heather & Paul Haaga, Drs. Jennifer & Robert Israel, The Jewish Community Foundation Michael and Irene
Ross Endowment Fund, Anonymous, Terry & Jeanie Kay, Alan M. & Sheila R. Lamson, John K. & Barbara Lawrence, Los Angeles County Board of
Supervisors through the Los Angeles County Arts Commission, Terri Murray, National Endowment for the Arts: Shakespeare for a New Generation,
The Kenneth T. & Eileen L. Norris Foundation, Pasadena Arts & Culture Commission and the City of Pasadena Cultural Affairs Division,
Leonard Pronko, The Charles & Elizabeth Redmond Scholarship Fund, In Loving Memory of Charles R. Redmond — Father, Robert & Ann Ronus,
The Rose Hills Foundation, The Shubert Foundation, Lyn Spector, The Steinmetz Foundation, James & Trevessa Terrile, Wells Fargo Foundation,
Roy H. Wishard & William O. Boden, WWW Foundation
2 A Noise Within 2013/14 Repertory Season
Tartuffe: Character Map
MADAME PERNELLE
Mother of Orgon
TARTUFFE
A hypocrite and
imposter posing
as a holy man. He
attempts to seduce
Elmire and keep
Valère from
marrying Mariane.
ARGAS
Friend of Orgon who
was anti-Louis XIV
during the Fronde.
VALÈRE
The young romantic
lead, who struggles to
win the hand of his true
love.
ELMIRE
Wife of Orgon
ORGON
Parisian gentleman
and father of the
house. In his quest
for religious piety,
Orgon has allowed
Tartuffe into his home.
MARIANE
Daughter of Orgon,
fiancé of Valère
LAURENT
Servant of Tartuffe
(Does not speak in
the play).
CLÉANTE
Brother of Elmire,
brother-in-law and
friend of Orgon
DAMIS
Son of Orgon
DORINE
Mariane’s lady maid.
She tries to help
expose Tartuffe and
help Valère.
A KING’S OFFICER/
THE EXEMPT
An officer of
the king
FLIPOTE
Servant of Madame
Pernelle (Does not
speak in the play)
MONSIEUR
LOYAL
A bailiff
Source:
McCarter Theatre http://www.mccarter.org/Education/tartuffe/html/2.html,
and http://www.gradesaver.com/tartuffe/study-guide/character-list/)
3 A Noise Within 2013/14 Repertory Season
About the Play: Synopsis
MADAME PERNELLE visits her son’s
Orgon’s house and proceeds to criticize
all of the members of the household
while praising their boarder, Tartuffe, for
his holiness and zeal. The family protests
that Tartuffe is false and hypocritical, but
Madame Pernelle dismisses their objections.
As she leaves, she admonishes everyone to
follow Tartuffe’s precepts.
Orgon arrives, Damis tries to inform his
father about Tartuffe’s proposition, but
Orgon is so blind that he thinks his own
son is evil in trying to defame Tartuffe’s
good name and he immediately disinherits
his son. When Orgon is alone with Tartuffe,
Orgon reveals that he plans to make Tartuffe his sole heir and his son-in-law. They
leave to execute this plan.
After Madame Pernelle’s departure, Cléante, Orgon’s brother in-law, and the maid
Dorine talk about Tartuffe and both agree
that he has beguiled Orgon. Damis, Orgon’s
son, wonders whether his father will still
allow Mariane to marry Valère; Damis must
know Orgon’s feelings because he wants
to marry Valère’s sister. He asks Cléante to
question Orgon about his promise to allow
the marriage to take place.
Later, Cléante tries to reason with Tartuffe,
but Tartuffe only responds in religious clichés and he hastily excuses himself from
the room.
Orgon arrives and seems much more concerned about the welfare of Tartuffe than
he is about his wife Elmire’s illness. Cléante tries to discuss Tartuffe’s hypocrisy
with Orgon, but he fails and discovers that
Orgon is only interested in singing Tartuffe’s
praises. When Orgon is questioned about
the intended wedding, he dodges the
issues and refuses to give a direct answer.
When his daughter arrives, Orgon tells her
that he wants to ally Tartuffe with his house;
this he can best do by Mariane’s marrying
Tartuffe. Mariane is so shocked that she
cannot believe her ears.
After Orgon departs, Dorine reprimands
Mariane for not having refused to marry
Tartuffe. Mariane’s beloved, Valère, arrives
and accuses her of consenting to the marriage. Dorine listens to them argue and
then, after they are reconciled, she promises to help them expose Tartuffe’s hypocrisy.
In an attempt to reveal Tartuffe’s hypocrisy,
Damis hides in a closet when he hears Tartuffe entering the room followed by Elmire.
Thinking that they are alone, Tartuffe professes his love to Elmire and suggests that
they become lovers. Damis reveals himself
and threatens to expose Tartuffe. When
4 A Noise Within 2013/14 Repertory Season
Orgon tells Elmire of his plan to make
Tartuffe his son-in-law and sole heir. She
convinces her husband to hide and observe
how Tartuffe acts when Orgon is not
around. When Tartuffe arrives, he makes
declarations of his love for Elmire as well as
derogatory comments about Orgon.
Finally convinced of Tartuffe’s hypocrisy,
Orgon emerges and orders Tartuffe to leave
the household. Tartuffe then reveals that
legally he is now the owner of the house,
since Orgon has signed over all his property. Orgon tells his wife that he is frightened
because, earlier, he had entrusted some
secret documents to Tartuffe’s care — documents which could ruin Orgon’s trusted
position in the court.
When Madame Pernelle arrives, Orgon cannot convince her that Tartuffe is a hypocrite
until she hears the news that Tartuffe is having the entire family evicted
Tartuffe arrives with officers of the court
and orders them to remove the family from
the house. When all hope seems lost, one
of the officers reveals that the king has
seen through the hypocrisy of Tartuffe and
ordered that Tartuffe should be imprisoned
and Orgon’s property restored. ❖
Source:
Utah Shakespeare Festival Study Guide (edited).
Molière: Biography
MOLIÈRE was the stage name of Jean-Baptiste Poquelin, born
in 1622, to a prosperous Parisian upholsterer. At the age of 21,
Jean-Baptiste left the family business and abandoned his legal
studies and birth name to take up a career in the theater. His first
appearances on stage were with the Illustre Théâtre, a young
ensemble whose fortunes soon faltered. After a brief stint in
debtors’ prison, Molière rededicated himself to a life in the theater,
spending most of the next fifteen years touring the provinces
with Madeleine Béjart, the Illustre’s leading lady and his mistress,
and other itinerant performers, honing his skills as a comic actor
and playwright (though he longed for success as a tragedian), and
turning out a number of farces inspired by the Italian commedia
troupes he encountered in his travels. Portrait of young Molière, attributed to Pierre Mignard
(circa 1660)
The company returned to Paris in 1658 with Molière as their manager. Invited to perform before Louis XIV, they quickly won his
favor, and Molière was granted the use of the Petit Bourbon (a
court theater adjacent to the Louvre) and later the Palais-Royal for
the troupe’s farces, character comedies, and lavish court entertainments—with music by Jean Baptiste Lully. In 1662, Molière married Armande Béjart (the younger sister–or the daughter, some
insinuated–of his mistress), who became a leading actress in his
company, beginning with his next play, The School for Wives, which
demonstrated the playwright’s maturing talent and propelled him
into the ranks of France’s greatest dramatists.
Not all of Molière’s plays were unqualified successes, however,
and not even the patronage of Louis XIV could protect him from
the censure provoked by Tartuffe (1664). Its story of a pious
hypocrite and his willing dupe was interpreted by many as a
condemnation of religion, and five years elapsed before the play,
in modified form, passed official muster. Molière fared little better
with Don Juan (1665); its free-thinking title character incurred
the wrath of the censors immediately after opening night and
the play soon disappeared from the repertoire. Still, by 1665,
Molière’s company was awarded regular pensions from the crown,
and took the title of La Troupe du Roi. The Misanthrope and The
Doctor in Spite of Himself premiered a year later, followed by The
Miser (1668) and The Learned Ladies (1672). Molière’s next play,
The Imaginary Invalid (1673), which featured the playwright as a
grousing hypochondriac, was to be his last; Molière, who suffered
from tuberculosis, took ill during a performance and died shortly
thereafter. A Christian burial was initially denied him because he
had not received last rites nor had he made a deathbed recantation
of his profession (as tradition required), but the archbishop of Paris,
responding to petitions from Molière’s widow, grudgingly allowed
a private burial in the parish cemetery, on condition that it be
carried out at night, without ceremony. ❖
Author: Janice Paran
Source: McCarter Theater Audience Guide.
5 A Noise Within 2013/14 Repertory Season
Molière: Timeline and Works
1622 B
orn, son of Paris upholsterer in the
service of the king
Chronological List of Molière’s Works
1643 L
eft home in 1643 and eventually joined
Béjart family theatre company
• The Flying Doctor (c. 1648)
1644 T
ook stage name, Molière; Real name,
Jean Baptiste Poquelin
1658 F
irst performed for Louis XIV with Béjart
company
1659 The Affected Young Ladies (Les Précieuses
Ridicules) (also known as The High-Brow
Ladies), Molière`s first success; about two
provincial girls affecting elegance and wit.
1662 Married Armande Béjart
1662 T
he School for Wives (L`ecole des femmes),
the first performance caused a great scandal;
the pedantic Arnoplhe is afraid of women
and decides to marry a girl without any
experience of the world; the young woman`s
natural intelligence and perceptiveness are
used as a vehicle of Molière`s critical insights
1664 T
artuffe (Le Tartuffe ou l`imposteur; Tartuffe
or the Impostor), originally a 3-act play,
banned and later reissued in 5-acts in 1667
(also banned) and 1669 (current version);
about a religious hypocrite and scoundrel
who deceives the gullible Orgon, tries to
seduce his wife, and takes possession of his
house and property.
1665 C
ompany adopted by the king as
Troupe du roi
1666 T
he Misanthrope (Le Misanthrope), Alceste
(originally played by Molière) has very high
standards and finds fault with everyone but
is in love with Célimène, a witty and worldly
society lady.
1673 T
he Imaginary Invalid(Le Malade imaginaire),
Molière`s last play; about a hypochondriac
afraid of death and of doctors
1673 C
ollapsed on the stage, and later died, while
performing his play, The Imaginary Invalid
6 A Noise Within 2013/14 Repertory Season
• The Jealous Husband (c. 1645)
• The Scatterbrain (1653)
• A Lovers’ Quarrel (1656)
• Affected Young Ladies (1659)
• The Imaginary Cuckold (1660)
• The Jealous Prince (1661)
• The School for Husbands (1661)
• The Nuisances (1661)
• The School for Wives (1662)
• The School for Wives Criticized (1663)
• A Versailles Improvisation (1663)
• The Forced Wedding (1664)
• The Princess of Elida (1664)
• Tartuffe (1664, 1667, 1669)
• Don Juan (1665)
• Love’s CureAll (1665)
• The Misanthrope (1666)
• A Doctor Despite Himself (1666)
• Mélicerte (1666)
• A Comic Pastoral (1667)
• The Sicilian (1667)
• Amphitryon (1668)
• The Confounded Husband (1668)
• The Miser (1668)
• Monsieur de Pourceaugnac (1669)
• The Magnificent Suitors (1670)
• · The Bourgeois Gentleman (1670)
• Psyche (1671)
• Scapin’s Schemings (1671)
• A Pretentious Countess (1671)
• Learned Ladies (1672)
• The Hypochondriac, or The Imaginary
Molière: Verse Format & Rhyme Scheme
VERSE FORMATING
Molière wrote Tartuffe in one of the most popular
literary formats of 17th Century France, Alexandrine
verse. Each Alexandrine line consists of 12 syllables.
Syllables 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, and 11 are unaccented. Syllables
2, 4, 6, 8, 10, and 12 are accented. In the middle of
the line, between syllables 6 and 7, is a brief pause
called a caesura. Occasionally, an Alexandrine line
contains 13 syllables, the last one unaccented. In
English versification, an Alexandrine line is equivalent
to iambic hexameter, iambic referring to the succession
of unaccented/accented pairs and hexameter
referring the total of six two-syllable pairs. Following
is the eighth line of Tartuffe in the original French,
demonstrating the Alexandrine scheme with the
caesura after the comma.
The accented syllables are in bold, translations in gold.
Example:
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10 11 12
Et que de me complaire, on ne prend nul souci.
Loose English translation: And no one makes
any effort to please me.
MOLIÈRE’S RHYME SCHEME
Molière wrote Tartuffe in rhyming couplets. A couplet
is a pair of lines in which the final syllable of each line
rhymes. Following are lines 7-12 in the original French,
demonstrating this rhyming pattern. Madame Pernelle
is the speaker.
The rhyming syllables are in boldfaced blue,
translations in gold.
Example:
C’est que je ne puis voir tout ce ménage-ci,
Et que de me complaire, on ne prend nul souci.
Oui, je sors de chez vous fort mal édifiée;
...Madame Pernelle announces that she is
ending her visit because no one in ... Dans toutes mes leçons, j’y suis contrariée
...her son’s household takes her advice or
treats her with respect.
On n’y respecte rien; chacun y parle haut,
Et c’est, tout justement, la cour du roi Pétaut.
The Alexandrine format does not apply to lines
with only a few syllables, as in the following line
spoken by Orgon:
Ah! mon frère, bonjour. Ah! Good morning, brother.
Source: Cummings Study Guide.
7 A Noise Within 2013/14 Repertory Season
Molière: Themes
HYPOCRISY
The central theme of Tartuffe is hypocrisy, as exhibited in the
holier-than-thou attitude of the antagonist. Tartuffe is the
personification of hypocrisy, pretending to be morally upright and
extremely pious when he is really a scoundrel. The main theme of Moliere’s Tartuffe refers to the hypocrisy
of religion versus Christian virtues, or people who claim to be
religious but are hypocrites instead.
The Absurdity of Zealotry
Costume Design by Angela Calin.
During Molière’s time, a rogue Roman Catholic movement that
advocated extreme piety gained a modicum of popularity. Called
Jansenism, it promoted the Calvinist tenet of predestination along
with an austere, almost unforgiving moral code. Pope Innocent
X condemned Jansenism in 1653 in a papal edict entitled “Cum
Occasione” (“With Occasion”). In Tartuffe, Molière, a Roman
Catholic educated at a Jesuit school, lampooned Jansenism in
particular—and fanaticism of any kind in general—through his
characterization of Tartuffe. Thus, Molière was doing with his play
what the pope had done with his edict. However, when the play
opened before the king and his court at Versailles Palace, the
clergy frowned on it because they thought its purpose was to
satirize all clergymen, as well as the Catholic religion in general.
Molière had to revise the play twice before the king approved it
for public performance. Oddly, Molière, though a lifelong Catholic,
remained out of favor with the church for the rest of his days
because he chose to act in plays as well as write them. Acting
at that time was considered a sinful profession, and the church
refused full communion to those who performed on the stage. GULLIBILITY
Orgon foolishly believes in everything Tartuffe says and does. Even
though his family members call his attention to Tartuffe’s obvious
hypocrisy, Orgon stubbornly supports Tartuffe, even making him
his heir and offering him the hand of his daughter. Orgon’s utter
gullibility represents the attitude of churchgoers who accept
sham religion characterized by zealotry. It also represents the
foolhardiness of anyone who falls victim to hypocrisy in any form.
However, in his mockery of Orgon and Tartuffe, Molière does not in
any way impugn sincere religious attitudes.
Underdogs Can Bite
Though only a lowly servant girl, Dorine is perceptive, witty, and
bold—an astute judge of character who is not afraid to speak
her mind. In many ways, this maid of steel is the most admirable
character in the play, demonstrating that one does not have to be
8 A Noise Within 2013/14 Repertory Season
Molière: Themes
highborn to be high-minded. Her opposition to female
subservience in a male-dominated society is centuries
ahead of its time, as evidenced by the advice she gives
Mariane after the latter’s father, Orgon, orders her to
marry Tartuffe:
Tell him one doesn’t love by proxy; Tell him you’ll marry for yourself, not him; Since you’re the one for whom the thing is done, You are the one, not he, the man must please; If his Tartuffe has charmed him so, why let him Just marry him himself—no one will hinder. All-Consuming Power of an Obsession
In Tartuffe, Molière satirizes preoccupation with
abnormally rigid piety and morality. But it is not the
antagonist, Tartuffe, who suffers from a fixation or
mania; he is a charlatan who only pretends to be a
religious perfectionist. Rather, it is the protagonist,
Orgon, who labors under an obsession. His neurotic
fascination with Tartuffe’s perfidious preachments on
religion and holiness is so powerful that he forcefully
betroths his daughter to Tartuffe, ignores his ailing
wife, and disinherits his son in favor of Tartuffe. At
a time when such men as Tartuffe actually existed—
preaching an austere form of spirituality that narrowed
the passageway to heaven—Molière well realized the
need for remedial laughter to expose the hypocrites
and their perverse obsessions.
DRAMATIC IRONY
Molière uses dramatic irony effectively in Tartuffe. The
most notable example of it—one which undergirds the
entire play—is Orgon’s unwitting approval of Tartuffe,
whom the rest of his family and the audience know is a
scoundrel. Orgon exhibits his naiveté again and again
in the lines he speaks, including the following lines
praising Tartuffe for watching over Elmire, Orgon’s wife.
(Tartuffe, of course, is not really looking out for Elmire’s
welfare; he is trying to seduce her.)
He censures everything, and for my sake
He even takes great interest in my wife; He lets me know who ogles her, and seems Six times as jealous as I am myself. 9 A Noise Within 2013/14 Repertory Season
Costume Design by Angela Calin.
Dramatic irony is also evident in the words spoken by
Madame Pernelle, who is adamant in her high opinion
of Tartuffe. After Orgon at long last realizes that
Tartuffe is a trickster, he informs her of the hypocrite’s
machinations. But, refusing to believe Orgon, Madame
Pernelle tell him:
My dear, appearances are oft deceiving,
And seeing shouldn’t always be believing.
She also observes:
False suspicions may delude,
And good to evil oft is misconstrued.
Source: Cummings Study Guide.
Interview with the Director
Julia Rodriguez-Elliott
DIRECTOR
Alicia Green
EDUCATION DIRECTOR
EDUCATION DIRECTOR: What drew you to this play?
JULIA RODRIGUEZ-ELLIOTT: I love working with
Molière because the comedy can be fierce. While they
are most often played as broad comedies—I believe
that there is a dark urgency within his plays that I am
always interested in exploring.
In the case of Tartuffe I am most interested in the
dynamics that exist within an individual/group that
allow an individual like Tartuffe to gain entry and take
hold. What is that “missing” thing that we “want/
crave” that allows us to submit ourselves completely to
what seems like an obvious schemer like Tartuffe. I was
also drawn in by the destructive power of extremism
that is central to this play.
ED: Why do you think Orgon and Madam Pernell were
so willing to trust in Tartuffe ?
JRE: If we are to believe what Madam Pernell says,
this is potentially a household/family that has lost its
way. They are living large, i.e. spending lots of money,
partying until late at night etc. I started thinking about
what she says and the fact we are looking at two young
people who lost their mother (Damis/Marianne) and
now find themselves with a stepmother (and in our
production we are pushing the idea that she is close
in age to Damis & Marianne). So Orgon has married
a young woman who perhaps has very different
priorities than his, and the marriage is going though a
challenging phase. Because I think there is generational
conflict in the play, I liked the idea of a “young
wife” with a middle-aged husband. Orgon, I believe,
is a good man. He is a respected member of the
community, successful, and sees himself in a situation
that he is not able to manage. Enter Tartuffe ...
1 0 A Noise Within 2013/14 Repertory Season
ED: How does Tartuffe ’s presence affect the
household?
JRE: This play straddles the extremes. We begin in a
world with a somewhat excessive lifestyle and Tartuffe
will take the family to a world where they will be
deprived of all that brings them pleasure. This to me
is the vicious side of the play. The family members
are becoming prisoners of their own household.
ED: That’s a bit dark for a comedy. Does it have a
happy ending?
JRE: Ultimately, there is a happy ending in the sense
that they are shaken up and perhaps better able to
look at each other in a more profound way given their
journey. However, while vanquishing Tartuffe restores
justice it does not ensure immediate happiness for the
family. They have been brutalized by Tartuffe and the
family will need to heal. All this being said—the humor
in the play will not be lost but there is something
unsettling about the events that take place during the
course of the play.
ED: Can you tell me a little bit about the production
elements and how they tie into telling the story?
JRE: The set and costumes very much reflect this
journey the family goes on.
The space will reflect the scale of the rooms in that
time period with all its excess and there will be a
modernity to the world (as if the young wife has
re-done their world) and as the play progresses we will
sense Tartuffe’s influence in both the look of the space
and the occupants mode of dress.
About the Production: Scenic Design
Frederica Nascimento
A SCENIC PROJECT always starts with the reading of
the play. It is an exciting moment and the only time
when the designer is on her own. When a new project
starts, theatre, film, performance, opera, the director is
always the most important element—we work together
as one.
When I read a text, I see so many possible geometries.
It is exhausting and challenging. Sometimes, like at
A NOISE WITHIN, when the director is in complete
synchrony with me the set almost builds itself. It is
magic.
With Julia the process is fluid and continuous and
everything is possible. Some ideas are there since
the beginning. The hypocrisy, religion, contrast of
generations, monumental scale, something sexual and
erotic, big windows and a table. And the need for an
interior door. Overtime the table became very long
as Tartuffe’s desk and it has to be made of 4 smaller
identical tables. We have a big chandelier now, 10
chairs, 4 stools and a sofa. The main set colors are
glossy black, dark red and grey (antique silver). The
walls are matte and the floor is glossy.
The scenic designer meets with the director as often as
possible. Talking about things that come to our mind.
I like to ask the director to tell me what the story is
about. It clarifies the director’s vision. It is important to
know as much as possible about the action/movement
ideas for the actors (hide under the table, hide inside
the closet, looking down from above); work references/
research (Eugenio Recuenco, Fellini’s Casanova, Marcel
Wanders); and of course, the time period (Seventeenth
Century, French, wall panelling, architectural elements
and details).
Tartuffe is always present, observing from above,
listening through the walls, his presence is on stage
since the first moment. He is a dark presence, invading
1 1 A Noise Within 2013/14 Repertory Season
Set Design by Frederica Nascimento.
the house, penetrating the space, taking over. The
enormous dark portrait. The house loses color, life
drains away throughout the play. At the very beginning
there is a party just before Orgon’s arrival. But the
presence of the back drop grid is already seen upstage,
coming down discreetly.
The architecture of the theatre creates opportunities
and sets limits on what is possible in the scenic design.
With my research and the practical notes from the play
complete I start the final drawings, final drafting and
final model. Even when we decide to make a change,
the initial concept remains in the design.
Tartuffe by Molière is a great play for a scenic designer
because a million things are happening in the same
room. I like to design classical texts because they offer
a complex structure to work with. ❖
About the Production: Lighting Design
Kenneth Booth
THE SETS AND COSTUMES for Tartuffe are highly
stylized, infusing a modern this period piece. A large
chandelier adds a touch of elegance. Because the
costumes are very colorful and textured and the set is
a hybrid of expressionism and classicism, I thought the
lighting should be subtle and not call attention to itself.
The white set helped me bounce the lighting to give it
a soft and indirect-light look. But to avoid a flat lighting
look, I relied on top and side lighting positions. The
play begins in a festive mood with colorful lighting, but
as the atmosphere decays, so the look of the lights. The
strong light through the large French doors diminish
and the lights transform the play into a stark, gloomy
setting. With LED fixtures lighting the cyc we see
outside the French doors, I was able to program pale
tones of blues and ambers. I used footlights to not only
illuminate the comedy under the large table, but also to
accent the grim mood as the play progresses. ❖
1 2 A Noise Within 2013/14 Repertory Season
A Memorable Imposter
By James Mills
MOLIÈRE FIRST PRESENTED Le Tartuffe at the “Pleasures of the
Enchanted Isle,” a royal extravaganza held at Versailles under the
auspices of Louis XIV, as the second featured play after his Princess
of Elide. Performed on May 12, 1664, on the sixth day of the fête,
under the title, Tartuffe or the Impostor, the unfinished threeact play initially received the king’s approval, but not that of the
church, which condemned its treatment of the “subject of abuse
and religious zeal by a confidence man and his victim” (Hallam
Walker, Molière [Boston: G. K. Hall, 1971], 81). Its portrayal of
credulity, distorted faith, and blind obedience earned the censure
of the archbishop of Paris, who was irate over its possible bad
effects on society, as well as the disapproval of the Queen Mother,
who similarly expressed her strong dismay.
Costume Design by Angela Calin.
1 3 A Noise Within 2013/14 Repertory Season
Molière was obliged to battle for the next five years against
great odds to have his play accepted and was reduced to giving
private readings because of legal sanctions against it. In an
attempt to curry favor, he offered a revised version in five acts in
1665, which was rejected. In 1667 he presented another version
under the title, Panulfe or the Impostor, in which he attempted
to mollify his enemies by modifying Tartuffe’s near clerical garb
and changing his name to Panulfe. However, his efforts were in
vain, for the play was suppressed by the archbishop of Paris who
forbade involvement with it on pain of excommunication. It was
not until 1669 that the present format was offered on stage in a
published version with official approval at the Palais-Royal Theatre.
Although scholars disagree as to what was contained in the earlier
versions, most feel that they differed substantially from the 1669
play ( James F. Gaines, Social Structures in Molière’s Theatre
[Columbus: Ohio State University Press, 1984], 199). It was during
the “Quarrel of Tartuffe” that Molière came to realize that he was
no longer able to count fully on the political backing of the king
nor the moral support of the public (Ronald W. Tobin, “Tarte à la
crème”—Comedy and Gastronomy in Molière’s Theatre [Columbus:
Ohio State University Press, 1990], 46). However, this period also
witnessed the appearance of the masterpieces of his maturity: Dom
Juan (1665),The Misanthrope (1666), Amphitryon (1668), George
Dandin (1668), and The Miser (1668). Tartuffe is a contemporary
play that mirrors the religious struggles of the seventeenth
century. Only recently (1647-1650), there had been violent conflicts
called “Frondes” during which religious groups sided with the
various factions of nobles vying for power. And France still felt
the repercussions of the bloody
civil strife between Catholics and
Huguenots that witnessed the
massacres on Saint Bartholomew’s
Day in 1572 and continued in
Molière’s time with the ongoing
harassment of the Protestants.
The Jesuits ontinued to oppose
the heretical Jansenists, a conflict
whose fires had been recently
stoked by Blaise Pascal’s Provincial
Letters (1656-1657) which served
as an apologia for the Jansenists
and as an indictment of the Jesuits.
Gallicans, who sought greater
French autonomy from Rome,
opposed the Ultramontanists, who
gave primary allegiance to the
Pope. Quietists fought to worship in
private without church control, while
various cults practiced their secret
rites, including black magic, at all
levels of French society. Religion
and politics were inextricably bound
together, with the way to temporal
power being ecclesiastical. Cardinal
Richelieu had cemented that
symbiotic relationship during the
reign of Louis XIII, while Cardinal
Mazarin, who had just died in 1661,
had continued the centralization of
power during the early ascendancy
of the maturing Louis XIV. The
sources for Tartuffe are unclear.
Although Philip Wadsworth
indicates that Flaminio Scala’s Il
Pedante, published in 1611, is the
only serious source still considered,
he nevertheless dismisses it and
suggests instead that a novel by
D’Audiguier and a Spanish novella
adapted in French by Scarron are
more contemporary to Molière and
offer many of the same features
1 4 A Noise Within 2013/14 Repertory Season
Wikipedia, Tartuffe.
as those found in Tartuffe (Molière
and the Italian Theatrical Tradition
[French Literature Publications
Company, 1977], 20-23). Molière
spent fifteen years on the road
working his early plays and
sketches for commedia dell’arte
skits. The Italians and Spaniards
taught him elegance and cynicism,
as well as the use of disguises,
trap doors, stock characters, and
mysterious happenings. Reflections
of his formative training appear
in Tartuffe in his use of such
theatrical devises as Orgon hiding
under the table, the clowning of
Dorine, and the quarrel between
Mariane and Valère. He made
fun of royalty, criticized society,
admired the common sense of the
lower classes, saw the similarities
in life, presented a nobility that
was not always admirable, and
offered his own views of life.
Finely wrought comedy was for
Molière a disrespectful attitude to
a potentially tragic situation (Albert
Bermal, trans, One-Act Comedies
of Molière, [New York: The World
Publishing Company, 1964], 5). The
themes of knowledge and blind
ignorance, reality and appearances,
and love and its distortions served
as social criticism designed to
educate society (Walker, 83).
Tartuffe is an essentialist view of
men and women. It has to do with
“a city morality, where life is more
a matter of perpetual contact with
others than with nature or things”
(Percy A. Chapman, The Spirit of
Molière [Russell and Russell, Inc.,
1965], 232). Ultimately, the whole
play tends to be greater than the
sum of its parts as its appeal is
largely attributable to its coherence
and wholeness as a comic structure
(Wadsworth, 112 113).
Tartuffe is probably Molière’s
most sinister character. While
the name is apparently from the
Italian tartufulo, meaning “truffle,”
there is a subtle hint of deception
in the French verb truffer, which
could mean “tromper,” or “to
deceive” (Gaston Hall, Molière:
Tartuffe [London: Arnold, 1960],
24). The play’s ominous quality
has been emphasized by Harold
Knutson, who has discussed its
sense of imminent defeat and ritual
death. He sees a symbolic death
for Mariane when she ponders
extinction at the prospect of a
forced marriage to Tartuffe and
metaphoric suicide in her pleas to
enter a convent. Orgon “murders”
Damis when he replaces him with
Tartuffe as his legal heir. Ironically,
he, in turn, experiences ritual death
when he tries to expel Tartuffe only
to have the latter demand that he
leave his own home. The overall
mood is one of perfidy, betrayal,
and despair (Molière, an Archetypal
Approach, [Toronto: University of
Toronto Press, 1976], 77 78). It is
significant that Du Croisy, the actor
who usually played comic roles,
played Tartuffe, while Molière played
Orgon. Where Tartuffe is “a country
boor aping Town manners, especially
in his effort to play l’honnête homme
amoureux” (Knutson, The Triumph of
Wit [Columbus: Ohio State University
Press, 1988], 91), Orgon has high
social standing, is wealthy, owns
his own home, has an abundance
of money, is a man of power, and
perhaps a royal officer or officier de
longue robe, either of the sovereign
courts or the financial administration
(Gaines, 200 206). In fact, Lionel
Gossman treats Orgon as the pivot
of the play and suggests that a true
understanding of it is based on the
relationship of the blind obedience
of Orgon and the hypocritical
wickedness of Tartuffe. He observes
that “dupe and deceiver—and
which is which?—are seen to be
partners in the same enterprise”
(Men and Masks, A Study of Molière
[Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins Press,
1963], 101). It is his opinion that
Orgon, a Christian who is unable to
give love or receive it, views Tartuffe
as a kind of Christ-figure and is not
interested in the real qualities of his
guest but only in the authority that
he commands (104).
1 5 A Noise Within 2013/14 Repertory Season
Set Design by Frederica Nascimento.
This is a play about
authority and power,
king who symbolically takes it away
and the reality is that “Orgon
from him to return it to Orgon,
himself is largely responsible for
and, indirectly, to himself. Yet, as
Tartuffe’s imposture” (Gossman,
Knutson points out: “Whatever the
112). Even Madam Pernelle, who
comic force of many scenes, the
is possessive and tyrannical, seeks
ominous mood that hangs over the
to usurp her own son’s place in
play remains with us long after the
his home and covets power over
dénouement. A cancer of bondage
others through Tartuffe. It also
and corruption has set into the
has to do with the family and its
play’s society, and, even after it is
potential destruction by an intruder.
extirpated at the comic reversal,
The play takes place indoors
the concluding verses speak more
with the word, “céans,” which
of relief and gratitude than of
means “on these premises,” being
exultation and victory” (Archetypal,
used an unprecedented fourteen
76).
times. It is Molière’s first realistic
picture of a bourgeois interior.
Molière’s was a vision of
It revolves around a traditional
reconciliation, with the family
bourgeois family consisting of three unit serving as an emblem for
generations, as well as extended
societal harmony. His was a ritual
family. The unity of the family, a
view of comedy that celebrated
symbol for continuity and social
regeneration. It is nevertheless
renewal, is temporarily threatened
ironic that in Tartuffe the
and destabilized by the presence
dénouement is the fantasy, while
of the intruder. Molière’s intent was
the body of the play represents
not to destroy society but to teach
the reality of life. In other words,
the lesson that false power and
the komos reveals the fantasy,
false piety were not for the public
while it is the tragic that is the real
good. When the officer of the king
world. Ultimately, Molière sought
arrives during the dénouement, he
to paint a France “in which some
enters a home filled with confusion,
sort of compromise is hit upon
usurpation, treachery, and despair.
between vigor of personality,
It is his duty to restore order in the
stability of custom, and enlightened
name of Louis XIV. He functions
acceptance of authority” (Chapman,
as deus ex machina, or rex ex
248). In Tartuffe he succeeds in
machina, in order to reinforce the
creating one of his most successful
ultimate power of the monarch
and best-loved masterpieces
over his people to restore authority
and one of his most memorable
to where it properly belongs in
characters, even if he is an
an orderly society (Tobin, 113).
impostor. ❖
Ironically, while Tartuffe seeks honor
Source: From Midsummer Magazine, 1993
and glory in Orgon’s home, it is the
Questions and Activities
Essay Topics
1. Who are famous Tartuffes of today—that is, people who pretend to be upright in order to get
money, property, or power?
2. Name several genuinely pious, upright people in recent years who gained worldwide
recognition because of their goodness.
3. It appears that Orgon is not a good judge of character, for he accepts as gospel everything that
Tartuffe says. Do you believe there are many people like Orgon who vote in elections?
4. Who is the most sensible person in the play?
5. In what ways does the play resemble a modern situation comedy?
6. Do you believe Molière ridicules religion in the play? Or does he ridicule people who practice
religion the wrong way?
Source: http://www.mccarter.org/Education/tartuffe/html/9.html
Classroom Activities
Designing Tartuffe: Character Collage*
Theatrical visual designers, such as those who
create a play production’s scenery, costumes,
makeup, and lights must find ways to communicate
their preliminary design ideas to the director
with whom they collaborate. One form of visual
communication is collage, in which cutout images
and text, material/fabric, and other small objects
are glued to a piece of paper to symbolize the
world of the play, its inhabitants, and/or its themes. Ask your students make a character collage of the
character from Molière’s Tartuffe that they find the
most compelling or interesting.
They will need an 8½” x 11” sheet of paper
(either colored paper or paper that can be
painted), magazines with visual images/
photographs, scissors, additional color paper
for cutouts, colored pencils or paint for a
background, and glue.
They should think about how they might
use color, images, and text to symbolize the
character and what happens to him or her in
the course of the play
Educators might also opt for their students
to create electronic collages by utilizing
PowerPoint technology and images gleaned
from the Internet.
Students should be given time to show
their finished collages to the class and to
explain how the objects and images in their
collages express and symbolize their favorite
character from Tartuffe.
*Source: McCarter Theater Audience Guide
1 6 A Noise Within 2013/14 Repertory Season
Qui était Molière?: Molière and the
French Renaissance.*
To prepare your students for Molière’s Tartuffe
and to deepen their level of understanding of and
appreciation for the period in which it was written,
have your students research, either in groups or
individually, the life, times and works of Molière.
Topics for a study of Molière and seventeenthcentury France and French culture might include:
Molière (born Jean-Baptiste Poquelin)
birth, family and education
early career
rise to prominence
Louis XIV
Cardinal Richelieu
The French Academy
French Neoclassical tragedy
French farce
Pierre Corneille
Jean Racine
Hôtel du Bourgogne
Théâtre Italien (commedia dell’arte)
Alexandrine verse
Jansenism
The School for Wives
The Misanthrope
The Would-be Gentlemen
The Imaginary Invalid
Have your students teach one another about their
individual or group topics vial oral and illustrated
(i.e., posters or PowerPoint) reports. Following the
presentations ask your students to reflect upon
their research process and discoveries.
Questions and Activities
The Challenge of the Ending
At the climax of Tartuffe, Orgon and his family are
suddenly saved from certain ruin by an outside
influence. This kind of ending in dramaturgical/
playwriting terms is called a deus ex machina (or
“god from the machine”). In the theatre of the
Ancient Greeks, tragedies were often resolved
by the entrance of a god who arrived on stage
via machinery just in time to save the good or
wronged or to punish evil. Today, the term is used
to refer to the resolution of a conflict through the
intervention of a person or thing from outside
of the dramatic action; it is often used critically
to suggest an inorganic/artificial or less than
dramatically compelling resolution. Ask your
students to describe the turn of events in Tartuffe
that can be categorized as a deus ex machine.
Do you think it is a compelling or suitable
resolution to the action and ending of the
play? Why or why not?
Why do you think Molière may have chosen
to end the play this way?
If it is not already common knowledge, alert
your students to the fact that the original
production/script of Tartuffe was condemned
and censored by religious members of
the court. The version of the play that has
survived has a revised ending which was not
Molière’s original artistic intention.
Ask your students to consider a better,
perhaps more artful or organic, way of
ending Tartuffe. Have them script their own
versions of the play from Act V, scene iv on
to the end. In a subsequent class meeting
have them cast their classmates in roles for
lively reading of the new endings. Discuss the
joys and challenges of trying to improve upon
the great French dramatist’s art.
Source: McCarter Theater Audience Guide
Two Truths and a Lie
Start by modeling the process by telling two
truths and a lie (preferably something that
could plausibly be true) about yourself. Ex
statements such as:
I have two kids.
I once won a pie-eating contest.
When I was ten, I hated science.
Allow the class to guess which is the lie.
Allow about a minute for every student to
think of two truths and a lie about himself/
herself.
Have the students form groups of four,
preferably with people they do not know
well (or assign at random). They should sit
together for the remainder of the activity.
Within each group, students must first learn
each other’s names. Then they are to tell
each other two things that are true about
themselves and one that is a lie (preferably
something that MIGHT be true). The others
in the group must determine which the lie
is. Allow about five to six minutes for the
groups to complete this.
Tell each group they must choose two of the
truths about the members of their group
and one lie to share with the class. Have
them write them down legibly. For example:
One member of our group once traveled to
Russia, one member… etc.
After the game, ask the class the following questions:
Were you able to guess the lie correctly? If so,
how?
What sort of lies were the most convincing? Big
lies? Little lies? Why?
Why do you think Oberon had trouble seeing
Tartuffe’s lies? Why did the other household
members not believe Tartuffe?
Source: http://www.teachersfirst.com/content/knowyou/
twotruths.cfm
1 7 A Noise Within 2013/14 Repertory Season
Questions and Activities
“Dear Dad, Have You Gone Mad?!”
Have each of your students take on the persona of
either Damis or Mariane to write a letter to his or
her father, Orgon. The letter must be imperative in
nature, address the familial discord in the house of
late, offer opinion as to the source of the conflict,
and attempt to offer remedies or advice on how to
resolve the situation and return family to its previous
state of harmony. Students should feel that they
have free-reign to update or relocate the dramatic
scenario, although they should stay true to general
ideas of the world of the play.
Students’ letters may be read aloud for the class and
discussed for the merits of their argument, attention
to dramatic detail and imagination and originality of
their authors.
Source: McCarter Theater Audience Guide
Status Quo
Engage the student actors in a conversation
regarding “Status.” What does it mean in life (at
school, at home or in the wider community)? What
does it mean on stage (between characters or
between actors and the audience). We discuss how
status can affect the body language, the voice, the
dialogue...the overall truthful portrayal of a character.
Materials
A deck of cards (in order Ace through King,
you will only need one suit)
8-10 chairs
double sided tape
Space Required
Medium to large open space
Instructions
1. S
plit the class in half. One set of student actors
becomes the audience and the other half sit in
chairs that are set up in a line. The facilitator
places a playing card on the forehead of each
participant (with a small piece of double sided
tape) without the participant seeing what card
it is.
2. Instruct the actors that an Ace is the highest
status in the room and TWO is the lowest. When
the facilitator claps his/her hands, the actors are
to mill around the room as if they are at a social
engagement, meeting new people for the first
time. They are to treat the other people at the
party according to the status (card ranking) on
their forehead. They are to quickly adapt their
character by responding to the cues given to
them by their fellow actors.
3. The first round is silent and entirely delivered
through body language and facial expression.
Freeze.
4. Clap again and the second round introduces
improvised dialogue. Freeze.
5. The actors sit back down in their seats and are
asked to sit from low to high status, having
to guess what external status they have been
given. One at a time actors remove their cards
and discuss if their predictions were correct,
how they guessed their status, how they were
treated and how it felt.
6. Large class discussion and the groups switch.
The entire activity is repeated for this new
group.
7. Assessment in the form of reflection in class
discussion.
A Noise Within has developed these activities according to The Common Core State Standards for Language,
Reading, Speaking, Listening and Writing at the 9th grade level and the 21st Century Learning and Thinking Skills.
1 8 A Noise Within 2013/14 Repertory Season
Tartuffe: Resource Guide
Set Design by Frederica Nascimento.
ARTICLES
• T
artuffe: Attacking Hypocrisy, Not Religion By Jerry
L. Crawford From Insights, 1993http://www.bard.org/
education/studyguides/Tartuffe/tartuffeattack.html#.
Up-b3id5H3A
• T
artuffe: A Memorable Imposter By James Mills From
Midsummer Magazine, 1993 http://www.bard.org/
education/studyguides/Tartuffe/tartuffeimposter.html#.
Up-b2id5H3A
• T
he King’s Play: Censorship and the Politics of
Performance in Moliere’s “Tartuffe” Michael Spingler
Comparative Drama
Vol. 19, No. 3 (Fall 1985), pp. 240-257
Published by: Comparative Drama
Article Stable URL: http://0-www.jstor.org.oasys.lib.oxy.
edu/stable/41153180
• “Tartuffe” and the Comic Principle in Molière W.
G. Moore The Modern Language Review Vol. 43,
No. 1 (Jan., 1948), pp. 47-53 Published by: Modern
Humanities Research Association
Article Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/3717969
• Is Tartuffe a Comic Character? Brian Nicholas The
Modern Language Review Vol. 75, No.4 (Oct., 1980),
pp 753-765 Published by: Modern Humanities Research
Association
Article Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/
stable/3726584
WEBSITES
• http://www.mccarter.org/Education/tartuffe/html/7.
html
• http://www.gradesaver.com/tartuffe/study-guide/
1 9 A Noise Within 2013/14 Repertory Season
FILM
• (“Additional Resources” from McCarter Theatre http://
www.mccarter.org/Education/tartuffe/html/11.html)
• d
e Sales, Saint Francis. Introduction to the Devout Life,
translated by John K. Ryan. New York: Harper & Brothers, Publishers, 1950.
• G
ossman, Lionel. “Le Tartuffe.” In Men and Masks. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins Press, 1963.
• L
ough, John. An Introduction to Seventeenth Century
France. New York: David McKay Company, 1954.
• M
aland, David. Culture and Society in Seventeenth
Century France. London: B. T. Batsford Ltd., 1970.
• P
ardailhe-Galabrun, Annik. The Birth of Intimacy. Cambridge: Polity Press, 1991.
• T
oporkov, Vasily Osipovich. “Tartuffe.” In Stanislavski
in Rehearsal, translated by Christine Edwards. New
York: Theatre Arts Books, 1979.
• T
rout, Andrew. City on the Seine. New York: St. Martin’s Press, 1996.
• W
ilbur, Richard. The Misanthrope and Tartuffe. New
York: Harcourt Brace & Company, 1993.
About Theatre Arts
Key Theatrical Terms
Today, movies and television
take audiences away from what
was once the number one form
of amusement: going to the
theatre. But attending a live
theatrical performance is still
one of the most thrilling and
active forms of entertainment.
blocking: The instructions a
director gives his actors that tell
them how and where to move in
relation to each other or to the set
in a particular scene.
In a theatre, observers are
catapulted into the action,
especially at an intimate venue
like A Noise Within, whose
thrust stage reaches out into
the audience and whose actors
can see, hear, and feel the
response of the crowd.
conflict: The opposition of people
or forces which causes the play’s
rising action.
Although playhouses in the
past could sometimes be
rowdy, participating in the
performance by giving respect
and attention to the actors is
the most appropriate behavior
at a theatrical performance
today. Shouting out (or even
whispering) can be heard
throughout the auditorium, as
can rustling paper or ringing
phones.
genre: Literally, “kind” or “type.”
In literary terms, genre refers to
the main types of literary form,
principally comedy and tragedy.
It can also refer to forms that are
more specific to a given historical
era, such as the revenge tragedy,
or to more specific sub-genres of
tragedy and comedy such as the
comedy of manners, farce or social
drama.
After A Noise Within’s
performance of Tartuffe, you
will have the opportunity to
discuss the play’s content and
style with the performing artists
and directors. You may wish
to remind students to observe
the performance carefully or
to compile questions ahead of
time so they are prepared to
participate in the discussion.
2 0 A Noise Within 2013/14 Repertory Season
character: The personality or part
portrayed by an actor on stage.
dramatic irony: A dramatic
technique used by a writer in
which a character is unaware of
something the audience knows.
motivation: The situation or mood
which initiates an action. Actors
often look for their “motivation”
when they try to dissect how a
character thinks or acts.
props: Items carried on stage
by an actor to represent objects
mentioned in or implied by the
script. Sometimes the props
are actual, sometimes they are
manufactured in the theatre shop.
proscenium stage: There is usually
a front curtain on a proscenium
stage. The audience views the play
from the front through a “frame”
called the proscenium arch. In this
scenario, all audience members
have the same view of the actors.
set: The physical world created on
stage in which the action of the
play takes place.
setting: The environment in which
a play takes place. It may include
the historical period as well as the
physical space.
stage areas: The stage is divided
into areas to help the director to
note where action will take place.
Upstage is the area furthest from
the audience. Downstage is the
area closest to the audience.
Center stage defines the middle
of the playing space. Stage left
is the actor’s left as he faces the
audience. Stage right is the actor’s
right as he faces the audience.
theme: The overarching message
or main idea of a literary or
dramatic work. A recurring idea in
a play or story.
thrust stage: A stage that juts out
into the audience seating area so
that patrons are seated on three
sides. In this scenario, audience
members see the play from varying
viewpoints. A Noise Within features
a thrust stage.
About A Noise Within
A NOISE WITHIN’S MISSION is to produce great works of world
drama and to foster appreciation of history’s greatest plays and
playwrights through comprehensive educational programs. ANW
is the only theatre in Southern California and one of only a handful
in North America to exclusively produce year-round classical
dramatic literature — from master works by Euripides, Moliere
and Shakespeare, to modern classics by Arthur Miller, Henrik Ibsen
and Samuel Beckett — in rotating repertory with a company of
classically trained resident artists.
The company was formed in 1991. All of A Noise Within’s Resident
Artists have been classically trained, and many hold Master of Fine
Arts degrees from some of the nation’s most respected institutions.
In its 21 year history, A Noise Within has garnered over 500 awards
and commendations, including the Los Angeles Drama Critics’
Circle’s revered Polly Warfield Award for Excellence and the
coveted Margaret Hartford Award for Sustained Excellence.
More than 27,000 individuals attend productions at A Noise
Within annually. In addition, the theatre draws over 10,000 student
participants to its arts education program, Classics Live! Students
benefit from in-classroom workshops, conservatory training,
subsidized tickets to matinee and evening performances, postperformance discussions with artists, and free standards-based
Study Guides.
Study Guides
A Noise Within creates study guides in
alignment with core reading, listening,
speaking, and performing arts standards
to help educators prepare their students
for their visit to our theatre. Study guides
are available at no extra cost to download
through our website: www.anoisewithin.
org. The information and activities outlined
in these guides are designed to work
in compliance with the California VAPA
standards, The Common Core, and 21st
Century Learning Skills.
Study guides include background
information on the plays and playwrights,
historical context, textual analysis, in-depth
discussion of A Noise Within’s artistic
interpretation of the work, statements
from directors and designers, as well as
discussion points and suggested classroom
activities. Guides from past seasons are also
available to download from the website.
A Noise Within’s vision is to become a national leader in the
production of classical theatre, creating an environment that
continues to attract the finest classical theatre artists, educates,
and inspires audiences of all ages, and trains the leading classical
theatre artists of tomorrow. ❖
California’s Home for the Classics
Study Guide Credits
Alicia Green Editor
Craig Schwartz Production Photography
Teresa English Graphic Design
Allison Post & EJ Marquez Education Interns
California’s Home for the Classics
Geoff Elliott & Julia Rodriguez-Elliott, Producing Artistic Directors
3352 E. Foothill Blvd., Pasadena, CA 91107
Tel 626.356.3100 / Fax 626.356.3120
anoisewithin.org
2 1 A Noise Within 2013/14 Repertory Season
California’s Home for the Classics