The Miser

C ast Valere ................................................................................Scott Ryan Elise ................................................................Amanda Lynn Lucarini Cleante ....................................................................Ryan Culpepper* Harpagon ........................................................................Brian Coon* La Fleche ..........................................................................D.R. Coffer Master Simon......................................................................Josh Cobb Frosine..........................................................................Julianne Howe Jacques ......................................................................Kate Masterson* Marianne ............................................................Kristin Lynne Sando Chief of Police ....................................................Jonathan A. Bussard Anselme ................................................................Joseph Paul Knable Scene The conservatory of a once magnificent Parisian townhouse, where decay has set in full-force. Time Late 19th century Dramaturg Notes W hat Shakespeare is to English literature, Molière is to French literature. Molière, a 17th century French playwright, is best known for his comedies of manners in which he pokes fun at the fashions and foibles of the time in which he lived. Some of his plays were considered quite scandalous, and several were closed by church authorities. As a playwright, Molière held nothing sacred; his plays were attacks on the institutions that society, then and today, holds most dear, such as religion and marriage. Molière’s characteristic criticism is evident in The Miser . The main character, Harpagon, is a monomaniac, unnaturally obsessed with the money he has and the money he deeply desires to acquire. His passion for wealth leads him to suspect his family and acquaintances of plotting to steal his moneybox from under his nose; Harpagon’s distrust, as well as his desire to get rid of his children as soon as possible, negatively affects everyone around him. Molière further highlights his characters’ exaggerated personalities by borrowing from the stock characters of commedia dellíarte. An Italian form of theatre that was popular during Molière’s time, commedia dellíarte consisted of improvisation, ensemble acting, and stock situations and characters. Molière’s characters had larger-than-life characteristics, quite similar to commedia characters, such as the lecherous old miser, the devious servants, and the charitable old gentleman. These borrowed characters are quite obvious in The Miser , and they help Molière to illustrate his criticisms by embellishing the point he wants to make. His intention is that, although the audience may laugh at the antics of the characters and condemn the lunacy of the miser, they also see a bit of themselves in these caricatures. ~Melanie J. Slabaugh