Company description::
Written by 17th century playwright Moliére, the show centers
around a family and their patriarch: a hypochondriac named Argan (Frank
Malvasi, Jersey City) that hates to be told he is looking well.
Argan's main problem: he spends half his time summoning doctors
to care for his "imaginary" ills and the other half trying not to pay their
bills. His solution: marry his daughter, Angelique (Joanna Maulbeck,
Summit), to a medical student, gaining him access to an extended family of
doctors.
"I'm a sick man . By this marriage, I shall have a doctor in the
family. And his father a doctor; and his uncle. Three doctors. And they won'
t want paying-or at least half-price," says Argan.
Too bad his chosen fiancé is an unattractive dolt and his daughter is
hopelessly enamored with the witty, quick-thinking and handsome Cléante
(Brian Blakely, Kennilworth).
Even worse, Argan doesn't even realize his step-wife, Béline (Jessica Sully,
Summit), is determined to send Angelique to a convent so she becomes sole
recipient of Argan's inheritance. When she's not plotting against Angelique,
she's plotting against Argan with her nefarious lawyer slash lover, Monsieur
Bonnefoy (Scott Avery, Califon).
Yes, Moliére mocks two professions in this show: doctors and lawyers. In
this respect, Moliére may have, once again, been ahead of his time.
All jokes aside, will the family succeed in overthrowing Argan's
self-centered plans and outwit his manipulative, unloving and money-grubbing
second wife, Béline? It'll all depend on the woman who really holds the
family together: the servant-nurse, Toinette (Beth Painter, Westfield).
Also starring are Emily Balzano as Louise (Summit), Scott Avery as Bonnefoy
(Califon), John Bauer as Dr. Purgon (Mendham), Dan Pence as Thomas (Basking
Ridge), David Claypoole as Beralde (Summit) and Michael Marcus as the
Apothecary (Springfield).
In the history of Moliére's other classics such as School for Wives and The
Misanthrope, Invalid is a timeless masterpiece of mistaken identity, comic
confusion, physical comedy, slapstick comedy and scathing social critique.
The Imaginary Invalid is directed by Vincent J. Balzano (Summit); he
recently directed Black Comedy at the Summit Playhouse. The production is
funded in part through a generous grant from The Summit Area Public
Foundation.
Performance dates and times are:
Fridays and Saturdays, Feb. 27 - March 13 at 8 p.m.
Sunday, March 7 at 2 p.m.
Thursday, March 11 at 8 p.m.
Ticket Prices:
Adults: $15.
Students: $10.
Call the Box Office at (908) 273-2192 for additional information
or to reserve or purchase tickets. The Summit Playhouse is located just off
Springfield Avenue at 10 New England Avenue.
About the Summit Playhouse. The Playhouse Association was founded in 1918 as
a World War I relief organization. Since then, they have mounted over 270
productions, making them one of the oldest continuously operating community
theaters in the US. They present three shows a year: a Fall show in
November, a Winter show in February and March, and a Spring show in May.
During the summer, Kaleidoscope, their theater for youth, presents a
production for and with students. Visit the Summit Playhouse on the web at
www.summitplayhouse.org.
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