Tartuffe is in our house. We’ve got to get him out.
Tony Award nominee Lucas Hnath (Red Speedo; A Doll’s House, Part 2) and Obie Award winner Sarah Benson (Teeth, Fairview) conspire to bring us a razor-sharp reinvention of Molière’s iconoclastic comedy in a mad-dash production full of ferocious wit, outrageous design, and downright buffoonery.
Broderick, last seen on Broadway opposite his wife, Sarah Jessica Parker, in Plaza Suite, allows the madness to unfold around him gently. It’s a generous performance that speaks to Hnath’s take. “Cheaters are also easily cheated,” Elmire says as she prepares to trap the imposter, “because they assume they’re the only ones cheating.” We can only hope.
In the end, though, two hours of verse does begin to wear thin. Clever, yes, but a difficult flex to maintain for a long period of time. Two other elements that, frankly, annoyed me are the jarring, industrial honking sound that accompanied some of the scene changes, accomplishing God knows what, and the rather distaff closing musical number, which comes out of nowhere. It blunts the effect of the play’s conclusion. Nevertheless, Tartuffe is a clever show with an excellent cast and high production values, and some moments of true hilarity.
| 2025 | Off-Broadway |
Off-Broadway |
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