FSU/Asolo Conservatory for Actor Training to Stage David Ives' Adaptation of THE LIAR

The FSU/Asolo Conservatory for Actor Training continues its 2015-16 season with Tony-nominated playwright David Ives' adaptation of Pierre Corneille's classic French farce THE LIAR. Known for his witty and edgy adaptations, including Venus in Fur and The School for Lies, David Ives' THE LIAR was praised by the Washington Examiner as "astonishingly fresh, funny, and totally appealing to modern audiences." Directed by guest artist Justin Lucero, THE LIAR previews in the Cook Theatre at the FSU Center for Performing Arts on Tuesday, December 29 at 7:30pm with a special "Pay What You Can Performance," officially opens on Wednesday, December 30 at 7:30pm, and runs through Sunday, January 17.

The charming and handsome Dorante is a compulsive liar who thrives on telling extraordinary tales and passing them off as truth. Upon his arrival home in Paris, Dorante quickly falls for the lady Clarice-and just as quickly confuses her name with her friend's, Lucrece's. With the help of Cliton, his newly hired servant who cannot tell a lie, Dorante mistakenly pursues Lucrece, thinking her to be Clarice. Meanwhile, Clarice is secretly engaged to his best friend Alcippe, who is overwrought and enraged by misguided stories that Clarice was seen with another man. Chaos ensues and mistaken identities abound as Dorante lavishes lie upon lie in a comedy rife with rampant emotions, passionate love, and unending humor.

Primarily hailed as the father of French tragedy with great works including Le Cid and Horace, Corneille's additional expertise in the art of comedy influenced countless playwrights, including comedy master Molière. David Ives considers his adaptation of Corneille's masterpiece Le Menteur a "translaptation," which he defines as "a translation with a heavy does of adaptation." His "translaptation" is written the way he imagined Corneille would have written it today, keeping the heightened style and verse of Corneille's French script, but adding a modern flavor to the plot and content of the play.

"This show has everything you'd expect and want from a modern adaptation of a French farce-vibrantly colorful characters, action-packed zaniness, even laugh-out-loud swordfights," said director Justin Lucero. "But it is the language of the play that is the brightest jewel in this comic crown. I like to think of Ives' "translaptation" as an explosive display of verbal fireworks. Written in period verse and peppered with modern vocabulary, this delicious script is complete with witty repartee, hysterical wordplay, shameless puns, and, of course, over-the-top and fanciful lies. I was instantly captivated by THE LIAR."

"David Ives' adaptations are a terrific workout for our grad actors," said Greg Leaming, Director of the Conservatory. "The language is vibrant, intelligent, witty and very sophisticated. With THE LIAR, Ives has taken a wonderful classic piece of theatre, a wonderfully wacky story, and like he did with his play The School for Lies, given it the kind of contemporary spin he is noted for. The result will be a real thrill for our audiences."

The FSU/Asolo Conservatory 15-16 season continues with William Shakespeare's dramatic masterpiece Macbeth on February 23 through March 13, and the season wraps up with Nora, Ingmar Bergman's stirring adaptation of the iconic play A Doll's House by Henrik Ibsen, running April 12 through May 1.