Classical Theatre Company Presents THE GOVERNMENT INSPECTOR By Nikolai Gogol

Classical Theatre Company returns to Russia for the first time since producing Chekhov's The Bear & The Proposal in 2016, this time via Russian literary master, Nikolai Gogol. Gogol's overt criticism of the rampant corruption he saw permeating the government in 1836 takes the form of his scathing satirical comedy, The Government Inspector. Often overshadowed by Chekhov, Nikolai Gogol penned The Government Inspector, and it is considered by some to be one of the finest plays from the Russian canon.

"Having just come out of an intense drama about government corruption in An Enemy of the People, we thought we'd turn that around and produce one of the funniest plays ever written about the same topic," says CTC Executive Artistic Director, John Johnston. "'Draining the swamp' in reference to eliminating government corruption is something we've heard on a daily basis for almost two years now. However, we've seen this administration only compound these issues with relentless abuse of power and gratuitous self-enrichment. With the timeliness of the topics of both Russia and government corruption, we're thrilled to produce this riotous comedy right now."

A farce in the truest sense of the word, The Government Inspector follows the exploits of a small-town mayor and his cronies as they get word that an inspector sent from the state would be examining their town incognito. Terrified that their massive corruption would be discovered, the mayor and his gang of officials mistake a low-level bureaucrat staying at a local inn as the inspector. Hilarity ensues as they try to bribe and dupe him in this case of mistaken identity.

Winner of the American Theatre Wing's prestigious National Theatre Company Grant Award in 2016, the Classical Theatre Company is dedicated to boldly re-envisioning classical drama on the stage, in the community, and in the classroom through engaging and enlightening plays - bringing them new life and relevance while maintaining the integrity that the works deserve.

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