Moliere play debuts at Janus Theatre
Janus Theatre will present "The Misanthrope" by Jean-Baptiste Moliere. The production will open Friday at the Elgin Art Showcase on the eighth floor of the Professional Building and will run through Nov. 18.
Artistic director Terry Domschke directs this self-righteous comedy, the first Moliere production for the theater, the Richard Wilbur translation.
In a world ripe with gossip, intrigue and endless litigation, one man takes a brave stand against hypocrisy -- while all the time remaining blind to his own. Moliere's richly sophisticated comic drama chronicles a day in the life of Alceste, a man who loathes the glitter and glamour of high society, but loves the woman who most embodies it.
The play features Jocelyn Mills of Carol Stream; Michael Henry of Chicago; Sean Hargadon, Meredith Koch, Greg Peters, Joe Schuman and Sarafina Vecchio, all of Elgin; Dan Neid of Itasca, Erin Spears-Rizvi of Rockford; and Terry Christensen of St. Charles. The production will be directed by Domschke, of Elgin, and stage-managed by Tara Schuman of Elgin.
Moliere (originally Jean-Baptiste Poquelin) is considered one of the greatest comic satirists in the history of theater. During his lifetime from 1622-73, he wrote 32 plays and was an actor and managed his own company. Next to Shakespeare, Moliere is one of the most popular playwrights produced throughout the world. His plays are usually satirical comedies, revealing the flaws of one major character through the use of comedy.
Richard Wilbur is a Pulitzer Prize-winning poet and former U.S. poet laureate. Widely produced from Broadway to college campuses, Wilbur's versions have helped create a Moliere revival across North America.
The play will be performed at 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, and 3 p.m. Sundays at the Elgin Art Showcase, 164 Division St., eighth floor of the Professional Building in downtown Elgin. Tickets are $15 or $12 for students or seniors. It is $10 for groups of eight or more. To reserve tickets, call (847) 931-0637.
For more information, visit Web site at www.janustheatre.org.