Tartuffe or The Hypocrite, an English Language World Premiere (Prospect Park)

Presenting a never seen before “Tartuffe” seems unimaginable. Yet, that’s what you’ll get a chance to see in Prospect Park, this May!

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Join us for a full production of Molière’s Tartuffe or The Hypocrite, reconstructed by Georges Forestier, translated by Maya Slater

Free & Open to All

Starring: Kim Awon, Kaliswa Brewster, Yonatan Gebeyehu, Thijs Hogenboom, Keshav Moodliar, Matthew Rauch, Luis Vega, Michelle Veintimilla,

How is this a World Premiere? We are offering the English Language World Premiere of Molière’s original “Tartuffe”, written in 1664 and immediately banned by the King of France.  Lost to history, this original play was reconstructed by Georges Forestier, a renowned French Historian, through a process of historical genetics, and  premiered at La Comédie Française in Paris in 2022.  It will be presented in English for the first time ever, on the Molière in the Park stage.

The story: A bible-thumping slug, enters the home of a puritan bug, mix in love, power, and fleshly fantasies by the hour, and call it Molière’s original plug!  If ever a play, plumed back in the day, knew exactly with what we’d be dealing. THIS tale by Molière, might be older fare, but the story’s even more … revealing.

A statement from Lucie Tiberghien:  I never thought I’d be able to say Molière in the Park is presenting a new play by Molière. Yet this is what we’re doing, at a time when the two factors that led to the banning and disappearance of the original script have re-emerged in the U.S. with furious energy: censorship, and willful denialism. Theater for all, as free entertainment, as a catalyst for empathy in our communities and as a conduit for political and social discourse is what we set out to offer when founding Molière in the Park. This English language world premiere, penned 359 years ago, gives us a distinct and immediate chance at providing all 3; an exciting and terrifying prospect because… how exactly have we evolved in those 359 years?

Creative Team

Director: Lucie Tiberghien

Set Design: Alex Jourdan; Lighting Design: Stoli Stolnack; Costume Deisgner: Jessica Irvin; Composer: Two-time Emmy Award nominated Paul Brill

Assistant Director: Hieu Bui: Production Stage Manager: Madison Lane ; Assistant Stage Manager: Parker Lane; Production Manager: Taylor Poer; Company Manager: Kasey Ackerman

Producer: Garth Belcon; Press Rep: David Gibbs/DARR Publicity, Development&Marketing Associate: Ningyi Zhang; Social Media: Media a la Carte; Graphic Design: Liane Fredel

In English. Running Time 90 minutes.

More Information

In English. Running Time 90 minutes.

The student matinees will be followed by a Q&A with the artists involved.

This program is made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.