City Theatre to Present Molière’s TARTUFFE This Summer in Austin

City Theatre Company is bringing one of the world’s most enduring comedies to the stage this summer with a new production of Molière’s Tartuffe, or The Hypocrite. The play runs June 13–29 at Genesis Creative Collective.

Originally written in 1664, Tartuffe is Molière’s legendary farce about a pious fraud who worms his way into a wealthy household with plans to marry the daughter, seduce the wife, and strip the family of its fortune. What follows is a biting—and hilarious—takedown of religious pretense, social hypocrisy, and human gullibility.

Despite being over three centuries old, Tartuffe remains strikingly contemporary. City Theatre’s production leans into the work’s uncanny modern relevance, emphasizing the very human flaws at the core of its characters. “Rather than feeling like a classic updated for today,” the company notes, “Tartuffe feels like a modern play that just happens to have been written in the 17th century.”

The production is directed by Payton Trahan, whose previous work with the company includes Picnic and The Last Night of Ballyhoo. The cast features Nathan Clemenson, Andrew Littlefield, Zachary Gamble, Shanaya Dixon, Christine Angelique, Liam Kinna, Kristin Fern Johnson, Mollie Kirby, Haylee Myers, Brent Irwin, Mike Dellens, and Adrian Lancaster.

Molière's work has a storied past. When Tartuffe was first performed for Louis XIV in 1664, it was promptly banned following backlash from religious authorities. Molière revised and retitled the play multiple times before it was finally allowed a public premiere in 1669. It has since become one of the most celebrated comedies in the theatrical canon.

City Theatre Company, now in its 19th season, is a nonprofit arts organization dedicated to accessible and inclusive public theatre. The company has received recognition from numerous awards bodies including the Austin Critics Table Awards and BroadwayWorld Austin, and has twice been voted “Best Theatre Company” by Austin 360.

Performance Details:

Tartuffe, or The Hypocrite
June 13–29, 2025
Thursdays–Saturdays at 8:00 PM, Sundays at 3:00 PM
Genesis Creative Collective – 1507 Wilshire Blvd., Austin, TX 78722

Ticket Information:

General seating: $20–25
Center reserved: $30–35
Group, senior, and student discounts available