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The play Tartuffe, by Moliere, is considered a timeless masterpiece. One, in my original thinking, anchored in time. I admit I did not see the value or moral message it still had for modern audiences until discussing it with my director and the rest of the design team. They pointed out that hypocrisy is still an issue plaguing our society. Our goal was to show Tartuffe in a way that, while not separating it from its historical ties, would become more easily digestible and accessible for modern audiences, without hitting them over the head with the message. As a personal exercise, I designed the show in two ways; the first for the purposes of Temple’s production and satisfying the Director, Peter Reynold’s vision, and the other as a more historically accurate reflection of the product. / Theater

This thesis documents a production of the French playwright Moliere's comedy Tartuffe at Temple Repertory Theater in Philadelphia. Set in Philadelphia's Main Line, this production provides an updated version of the play that comments on religion in contemporary America. Tartuffe is one of the best comedies written by Moliere. Banned for many years, it deranged people and touched a very tender spot in 17th century French society. America has a very different approach to religion than France. The many churches in existence make this country a deist democracy as opposed to the French secular state. The use of religion in politics, the "in God we trust" on the dollar bill, and seeing people pray in restaurants before their dinner have dictated this production be set in contemporary America. The use of clown techniques helped in finding American archetypes that would fit the characters. Directing choices, designers and actors created a world that tells the story of a rich American family threatened by the extremist religious discourse of a hypocrite. All these choices try to honor the heightened style of Moliere's language and, here, of Ranjit Bolt's very modern and fluid translation. / Theater

Contrary to popular belief, three hundred years of Molière studies has not exhausted the possibilities of further research in this field. Of the many Molière plays read and studied, Le Tartuffe is certainly among those that give rise to the most number of questions and the greatest amount of research. While many of the contemporary critics have devoted lengthy and detailed studies to the various aspects of Tartuffe's origins, his development throughout the play and even his influences on later seventeenth century fiction, few have chosen to discuss the importance of all three. Hence, our desire to present a more condensed but better organized version of the facts and speculations surrounding the circumstances of the play Le Tartuffe and more specifically those of the germination and evolution of its main character. Chapter one deals with a general study of the Italian theatrical tradition and discusses the many traces of Italian influences which are present in Molière's hypocrite. Our goal in this first chapter is not to stress Molière's dependence on his Italian colleagues but to illustrate the process of give and take and the rich exchange of ideas which all contribute to the makings of Tartuffe's mysterious but dynamic personality. The second chapter distances itself from the world of fiction to take a closer look at Molière's personal circumstances at the time of Tartuffe's conception and to examine briefly each of the live personnages who may or may not have served as a model for the playwright's fictitious character. Once again, we do not seek to implicate Molière as a man of vengence who was unable to separate his work from his personal prejudices but rather to underline the fact that Molière's creation relied equally on his imagination as well as his encounters in the world of reality. In our third and final chapter we return once again to the world of fiction and make-believe. Chapter three is divided into two parts: the first part deals with a study of other comedies by Molière and the numerous correlations that exist between Tartuffe and the main characters of these other plays. Part two discusses the works of two major writers of Moliere's time; La Rochefoucauld and La Bruyère and the extent to which Molière's Tartuffe influenced the 'raaximes' and the 'caractères'. Although our study of Molière's Tartuffe does not solve all the mysteries surrounding this dynamic character, it does give a better insight of his affinities and his influences within the seventeenth century world of fact and fiction. In our conclusion, we stress and draw upon two main points. In examining the character of the hypocrite, it is important to recognize that he is indeed a rich combination of external sources and influences right from the legacy of the Italians to the various courtisans and nobles of Molière's own time. On the other hand, it is equally vital to keep in mind Tartuffe's own flavor of authenticity for although many of his superficial traits are derived from external sources, there are elements in this fictitious character that render him unique. Secondly, we must consider the author himself and his role in the development of Tartuffe's personality. Time and again it has been suggested that Moliere's characters were in fact no more than 'porte-paroles' of his personal philosophy or worse, tools of vengence against his own real life enemies. We have always adhered to the theory that these suggestions were purely speculative and our research of Tartuffe's origins, affinities and influences have shown us that far from being a tool of vengence, the hypocrite is the reflection of one man's energy, perception and devotion to his work. / Arts, Faculty of / French, Hispanic, and Italian Studies, Department of / Graduate

Seventeenth century French society was a time in which the arts flourished and were used to create an eminence of power and absolutism. The gardens of Vaux-le-Vicomte were commissioned by Nicolas Fouquet and designed by André Le Nôtre. The gardens created a political and social space through the characteristics of design and standards of order which together conveyed power and absolutism. Louis XIV, newly crowned king, recognized at Vaux the perfect vehicle for the portrayal of power. French theater at the same time was gaining popularity and establishing itself as a great art form. Similar to the gardens at Vaux which illustrated beauty and power through order and careful design, the theater also was subject to specific guidelines of order and design. Powerful men such as Cardinal Richelieu helped to establish the early acceptance and development of theater at this time. Principles set forth for the theater were followed in order to create the perfect theatrical illusion onstage. Standards such as those set forth by Scudéry, d'Aubignac and the Academy were closely followed while plays such as Pierre Corneille's Le Cid were criticized for their lack of adherence to the rules. Trends and elements of formal gardens aligned with similar trends in French theater to reflect the power of the king. This power was doubly manifested through the garden setting and the theatrical performances which took place within them. The festivities of The Pleasures of the Enchanted Isle presented numerous plays by Molière such as Les Fâcheux and Tartuffe. These works demonstrated the power of the king while the week-long festivities created a space in which real and the desire for reality combined.

L’écoute aux portes est un élément du théâtre français qui n’a pas souvent retenu l’attention de la critique, qui tend à le concidérer comme un simple subterfuge utile au développement et à la résolution de l’intrigue. Ce mémoire cherchera donc à combler ce manque d’attention, en portant sur l’intérêt scénique particulier que représente l’écoute aux portes dans Tartuffe de Molière, Le Jeu de l’amour et du hasard ainsi que Les Fausses Confidences de Marivaux et On ne badine pas avec l’amour de Musset. Après avoir défini ce que l’on entend par le terme « écoute aux portes », nous nous demanderons qui écoute, dans quels lieux, ce qui motive les curieux et si l’on peut voir dans l’écoute aux portes autre chose plus qu’un simple subterfuge, qu’une simple excuse qui permet aux « oreilles indiscrètes » de partager ce qui normalement leur serait resté inconnu.

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