Tartuffe, or, The Charlatan at The Conspirators

The Conspirators present Tartuffe, or, The Charlatan by playwright Molière (1622-1673), directed by Wm. Bullion, at Stars & Garters, 3914 N. Clark St., May 8 - June 7. 

Hot on the heels of last year’s smash hits, Duck Soup! and Chicago Cop Macbeth, the Conspirators now return to lovingly dismantle Molière’s classic Commedia-inspired masterpiece, Tartuffe, or, The Charlatan. Molière and arguably his greatest comedy have enjoyed a major revival in recent years, including two high-profile reimaginings starring Matthew Broderick (plus David Cross!) and André De Shields. Following these acclaimed runs, The Conspirators will be Chicago’s 2026 Tartuffe flag-bearers, bringing their high-energy provocative attitude to another timely classic.

This story takes place in the home of the wealthy Orgon, where Tartuffe—a fraud and a pious charlatan—has insinuated himself. He succeeds in winning Orgon’s respect and devotion then attempts to marry his daughter, seduce his wife, and seize the deed to his property. Tartuffe nearly gets away with it, too, but an emissary from THE KING arrives in time to recover the property, free Orgon and haul Tartuffe off to jail. The charlatan’s duplicity is finally exposed and punished, but not before the author mercilessly skewers the evil that men can commit with the right cult following. Tartuffe, or, The Charlatan is a comedy about the dangers that imperil those who would believe only what they choose to believe despite a mountain of evidence to the contrary. 

The performance schedule is Thursdays - Sundays at 7 p.m. and there is a special industry performance on Monday, June 1 at 7 p.m. Tickets are $30 and may be purchased online at Humanitix.com. Preview tickets are available for $15 at Humanitix.com/Cheap-Previews-Tartuffe. For more information about The Conspirators, please visit ConspireWithUs.org.