By Marilyn Lester***Immersive, dynamic, quick-witted and one heck of a lot of fun: this delightful production of Molieré’s farce, Tartuffe, headed by Tony Award® winner André De Shields in the title role, is itself an award-worthy must-see. You’d have to search pretty far for a flaw in this updated mounting, further 
proving that excellent art in the right hands is enduring. This vivid production centering on the amoral, canny fraudster remains as relevant today as when in was written in 1664. Tartuffe has a lot to say about human nature, shining its spotlight on hypocrisy, credulity, truth, ambition, justice and much more—brought home by a uniformly outstanding cast of ten very talented actors.
Underscoring the wonders of the play is it’s theatrical home: the Library (constructed in 1609 for a Ducal palace in Urbino, Italy) in the House of the Redeemer, a landmarked Gilded Age mansion rarely opened to the public. With just 100 seats in a U-formation around the playing space, you are there. Moving deftly throughout, the the actors’ skillfully-executed pace is swift and furious as befits a farce
. Direction by Keaton Wooden is smart and dexterous. A brilliant translation by Ranjit Bolt (OBE), from the author’s French original, not only is absolutely timely but allows the artful cast to speak the iambic pentameter naturally, with consummate ease.
When Tartuffe, the 18th of Molieré’s 31 plays, debuted in Paris, it caused an immediate outcry. King Louis XIV, under pressure from the Catholic Church, quickly banned it, based on its depiction of Tartuffe as a hypocrite who pretends extreme religious devotion to manipulate and exploit Orgon, a wealthy member of the bourgeoisie. And despite a few rewrites by the author, and over countless worldwide productions since, in adaptations pushed, pulled and stretched every which way, Tartuffe still remains 
a favorite and the most-produced play in the repertoire of the Comédie-Française.
As Tartuffe, the penniless conman who courts the wealthy Orgon (Chris Hahn), André De Shields is pitch perfect. Always a canny interpreter and consummate inhabitor of a role, there’s plenty of meat on this bone to dig his teeth into. Now, combine those smarts with De Shields’ commitment to giving no less than 100 percent to his endeavors, and the result is a master class in acting. To witness his Tartuffe is to understand why this multi-award winner is hailed as an undisputed theater great. What’s more, he’s having a bunch of fun in the part, and that means so are we.
Tartuffe has not only wheedled himself into Orgon’s household, but the deluded master of the house has given Tartuffe influence over his affairs. In a frenzy of activity as the action plays out, Orgon’s mother, Madame Pernelle (Todd Buonopane in minor drag: a tiara) also supports Tartuffe, but the rest of the family, Orgon’s wife Elmire (Amber Iman) and her brother, Cléante (another switcheroo in Hannah Beck), plus the children Damis (Tyler Hardwick) and Mariane (Alexandra Socha), peg him as a fraud. Tartuffe wishes to marry Mariane, who’s engaged to Valère (Charlie Lubeck) while also attempting to seduce Elmire. Dorine (Phoebe Dunn), Mariane’s outspoken maid and Damis connive to expose Tartuffe for what he is. But the wily Tartuff has seen this coming 
and has a counter plan, which puts Orgon in the hot seat. But there is a happy ending and order is restored via Molieré’s theatrical plot device of a Deus ex machina.
The production is aided by judiciously applied musical pieces, with Drew Wutke, Music Director/score, at the keys. Scenic designer Kate Rance brought life to the library settling, creating a colorful, immersive space, no doubt reminiscent of the original’s debut in the Palace of Versailles. Superb costumes are by Tere Duncan, especially the bright red clerical-adjacent robe for De Shields in his signature color. Lighting design by Yang Yu is at its height with dynamic effects for Tartuffe’s grand entrance to the stage, while sound, designed by Bill Toles resonates, with no “dead” areas in the intimate Library space.
Tartuffe at the House of the Redeemer (7 East 95th Street, NYC) runs through November 23, 2025. Runtime is 1 hour and 30 minutes with no intermission General admission tickets start at $72, purchased at TartuffeNYC.com.
Photos by Joan Marcus
