André de Shields is Tartuffe @ House of the Redeemer

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The Play: André de Shields is Tartuffe; a high-camp version of the 17th century satirical farce about a hypocritical holy man who tries to dupe a wealthy family out of its fortune 

Written by: Molière        Translated by: Ranjit Bolt        Directed by: Keaton Wooden

One good thing: The venue—the library of an old Upper East Side mansion—is glorious and people who love de Shields’ flamboyance are going to love this production because despite carrying a prompt book to help him with his lines,  the 79-year-old theatrical icon goes at it full tilt here, from a peacocking entrance to some impressive twerking later on

One not-so-great thing: The cast is uneven, most of them seemingly more comfortable playing up the camp than on playing out the farce  

 

 


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