Archive: Arts & Entertainment

ITHACA, NY - A showcase of theatre, dance, music and circus comes to the Cornell Schwartz Center this November as Moliere's hilarious "comedy-ballet" The Bourgeois Gentleman takes the stage. Molière is well known for his many plays based in the comic improvisation form, commedia dell'Arte, including The Misanthrope and The Miser. The Bourgeois Gentleman follows Monsieur Jourdain, a Parisian bourgeois (of the social middle class) whose desire to be known as a gentleman guides his every action. Outrageous antics ensue as the boorish Jourdain brings in an array of social "consultants" to help him attain upperclass status.

"In the spirit of Molière and commedia dell'Arte, we are utilizing our cast's special skills to piece together elements of the play. Some of these special talents include juggling, acrobatics, hula hooping, and ice skating. We've used this improvisation to explore everything from character relationships to dance numbers," said Director Beth Milles, who last directed Inherit the Wind at the Schwartz Center.

In order to contemporize the play, Milles also worked with NYC composer Lewis Flinn and department choreographers Byron Suber and Jumay Chu to re-imagine some of the original songs in the play. Flinn recently composed the score for the Tony-nominated play The Little Dog Laughed on Broadway as well as the original music for the CBS television show "The Power of 10."

There are more than 25 cast members in The Bourgeois Gentleman, including RPTAs J.G. Hertzler (Monsieur Jourdain), Carolyn Goelzer (Madama Jourdain), Dennis Fox (Dorante), Jeffrey Guyton (Dancing Master) and Cornell students Allison Buck (Lucile), Katherine Karaus (Nicole), Tyler Herman (Cleonte), Carlos Guerrero (Covielle), Christine Bullen (Dorimene), among others.

Designing the large, carnival-like atmosphere of the play (which includes an ice skating rink on stage) are guest scenic designer Melpomene Katakalos (a San Francisco-based designer), resident costume designer Sarah Bernstein, resident lighting designer E.D. Intemann, and resident sound designer Warren Cross. Gary Moulsdale will provide music direction.

Evening performances of The Bourgeois Gentleman are November 15-17 and November 29-December 1 at 7:30 PM. A matinee will be at 2 pm on December 1. A post-show discussion with actors and designers will be held November 29.

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