Director's Note: When Tartuffe opened at the court of Versailles in 1664, Moliere’s comedy put him in hot water with the leadership of the Catholic Church which did not appreciate the story of a charlatan duping the faithful. The Archbishop of Paris proclaimed an edict of excommunication for anyone who performed or watched the play, leading it to be banned. After Moliere revised the play several times, a direct intervention of King Louis XIV allowed Tartuffe to be performed again in 1669. In his defense of his play (and of comedy itself) to the King, Moliere stated that: “It is a great blow to vice to expose it to everyone’s laughter. We can easily stand being reprehended but we cannot stand being mocked. We are willing to be wicked but cannot stand being ridiculous.”
Faith is among the most powerful and beautiful parts of the human experience, but as Cleante himself would say, it has always been a target for those who would manipulate people with deep beliefs for profit and power. This wonderful adaptation by David Ball is a fitting testament to the interesting times we find ourselves in.