Tartuffe Critique

USC'S production of Tartuffe was successful in projecting the main themes of the play. The main themes that I believe the director was trying to show were that hypocrites are very obvious with their immorality and that only fools are duped by these swindlers. The actors effectively exhibited the traits of their particular character. The actors' accurate portrayals of the characters effectively established the themes of the work and also gave the production a very comedic mood. This mood was helped by the bright and colorful stage.
At the start of the play, everyone except Madame Pernelle (and Orgon) was aware of Tartuffe's hypocrisy. I believe that the director had the old, withered grandmother character in a wheelchair in an effort to support his theme that only fools are duped by hypocrites. Madame Pernelle's foolishness is probably due to senility, and the director's choice of a wheelchair makes this suggestion. Her character contributed to the comedy of the play becau...