The Imaginary Invalid Off-Broadway Reviews

They all deserve to be singled out, Linn-Baker foremost as buffoonish Argan. He’s especially pleased with Argan’s enemas and regular posterior massaging events. Burton, playing his three parts and as the action proceeds having to make quick and then quicker changes, has the showiest assignment(s). His seen-it-all attitude as Dr. Purgon is particularly amusing. Daniels—dressed by costumer Tilly Grimes as what resembles Humpty Dumpty going to a birthday party for six-year-olds—gets giggles simply by standing still. Stiles’ knowing looks are attention-getters. Okay, safe to say they’re all outstanding.

As farces should, the action ratchets up with more madcap medical moments and a good deal of mistaken identity, rampant implausibility, and fast opening and closing of doors. Jesse Berger’s direction is pitch perfect throughout. It all adds up to a happy ending and a joyful, cathartic romp that refreshes an old classic with style, sass, and jokes that have stood the test of time, proving that laughter is never out of fashion.

If you believe, as advertised, that “laughter is the best medicine,” don’t miss this laugh-out-loud production of The Imaginary Invalid to get your hefty, healthy dose; it’s sure to provide some effective relief from the malaise of Molière’s times and ours.

The Imaginary Invalid, much like Molière’s other works, explores social structures and infidelity through satire and exaggerated physicality (there’s lots of enema jokes and butt massages). While there are plenty of laugh-out-loud moments, as a whole, the company doesn’t necessarily deliver a remedy for the dark times we’re living in, but it’s a pleasant enough painkiller. And at 85 minutes, there’s no fear of suffering from Argan’s diagnosis of glutial amnesia (aka dead butt).

The combination of talents has achieved a comic lift-off that is precise and surprising. This is a very smart script. Hatcher may have taken a page or two from the style of Coel Escola’s “Oh Mary” – which is a compliment to both authors. Just when you think you have a handle on the proceedings, they spring a new plot twist on you. Not only a new plot twist but several costume changes along with the requite exits and entrances that make your head spin.

“The Imaginary Invalid” has possibilities and does get some laughs from the audience. Yet It feels like the play needs more rehearsal or tighter direction from Jesse Berger. In some instances, the character delivers a line and it takes the audience an extra beat to ‘get it.’ Some of what was supposed to be funny fell a bit flat.

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.”

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.