The Imaginary Invalid
80 Minutes
The Imaginary Invalid - 2025 Off-Broadway History , Info & More
New World Stages
340 W. 50th Street New York, NY 10019
In Molière’s best loved comedy, Monsieur Argan is a notorious hypochondriac whose nonexistent illnesses blind him to the con men and women (his new wife) who prey on his fears to fatten their purses. His plan: marry his daughter to a doctor so he'll have free round-the-clock on-site healthcare for the rest of his life. In Molière’s best loved comedy, Monsieur Argan is a notorious hypochondriac whose nonexistent illnesses blind him to the con men and women (his new wife) who prey on his fears to fatten their purses. His plan: marry his daughter to a doctor so he'll have free round-the-clock on-site healthcare for the rest of his life. Newly translated by Mirabelle Ordinaire and adapted for Red Bull by Jeffrey Hatcher, The Imaginary Invalid is a brilliant satire of doctors, lawyers, and would-be patients who take self-care to staggering levels of pathological solipsism. A comic whirlwind of pills, lovers, therapies, disguises, vaccinations, impersonations, masks, mindfulness and miracle cures.
The Imaginary Invalid - 2025 - Off-Broadway Cast
FEATURED REVIEWS FOR The Imaginary Invalid
“The Imaginary Invalid” Proves Laughter’s the Best Medicine
7 / 10
Jesse Berger’s direction is sure-fire, and all the performances are good, though Mark Linn-Baker’s Argan could have been a bit more menacing to my taste. Known for a certain cuddliness, he misses the tyrant at the center of the character, which makes it feel like a missed opportunity to provide more tension to heighten the stakes. Emilie Kouatchou is charmingly vivacious as Angélique and Sarah Stiles makes a meal of the randy Toinette’s unflappability. When she’s called upon to sing, she fills the small New World Stage with her large voice.
Review: Laughter is the Best Medicine in The Imaginary Invalid
7 / 10
Some of the show’s most farcical elements would work better on a much larger stage, but Berger is an inventive director, making especially good use of a big chair that sits continuously on center stage. Sadly, the show’s energy does occasionally flag, but then there is some bit or plot complication to bring the show back to life. Still, we need all the diversions we can get in these troubling times, and since laughter is still the best medicine, grab a ticket to “The Imaginary Invalid.”
Category
The Imaginary Invalid History
Other Productions of The Imaginary Invalid
| 1917 | Broadway |
Broadway |
| 1967 | Broadway |
Broadway |
| 2025 | Off-Broadway |
Off-Broadway |
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