Organic Theater stages 'Tartuffe' at North Central

After a successful six-week run in Chicago, Organic Theater Company presents its modern staging of Moliere's "Tartuffe" for its summer showing at North Central College.

Performances are at 7:30 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, Aug. 20-22, and 2:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 22 and 23, at Meiley- Swallow Hall, 31 S. Ellsworth St., Naperville.

"'Tartuffe' is a truly great play," said Artistic Director Alexander Gelman. "It grapples with eternal and profound issues without losing sight of joy, irony and fun."

"Tartuffe" is Moliere's story of a family held hostage by the hypocrite Tartuffe. Gelman directs and challenges the notion the play is about hypocrisy at all.

"Tartuffe's creator describes him as a hypocrite, removing all suspense about his veracity," Gelman said. "What if our ongoing interest in this play has more to do with our susceptibility to pretense rather than its obvious sins?"

Organic's production seeks to expose the weakness in the family on which Tartuffe preys.

"Tartuffe exposes the best and worst of people," said company manager Joel Moses. "Genius and hypocrisy, still today - people are taken for fools by predators like this. And we laugh at it all because it's all based in truth."

Tickets purchased on the Internet are $30 for adults, and $20 for senior citizens and students. For more information and how to purchase tickets, visit www.organictheater.org or call (630) 637-7469.