MOUNT VERNON — Cornell College and Riverside Theatre will team to present the classic Moliere comedy “Tartuffe” on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, Oct. 12-14, at 8 p.m., and Sunday, Oct. 15, at 2 p.m. in Armstrong Theatre at Cornell. The production will be staged at Riverside Theatre, 213 N. Gilbert St. in Iowa City, Oct. 20 through Nov. 5.
“Tartuffe,” by France’s most famous playwright, is the third collaboration between students and faculty at Cornell and artists at Riverside, Iowa City’s resident professional theater. They presented Thornton Wilder’s “Our Town” in 1999 and Chekhov’s “The Cherry Orchard” in 1996, performing the plays first at Cornell and then at Riverside.
Moliere’s 17th-century comedy is about a con man, Tartuffe, who has weaseled his way into the graces of Orgon, a gullible Parisian patriarch who thinks Tartuffe a pious untouchable. Blindly devoted, Orgon is ready to give up to Tartuffe his riches, his daughter and, unwittingly, even his wife. The play is directed by Jody Hovland with Ron Clark performing as Orgon. Hovland and Clark are Cornell artists-in-residence and co-artistic directors of Riverside, which they founded in 1981. They have taught in the theatre and communications studies department for 15 years.
For the Cornell performances, general admission is $8 for adults and $5 for senior citizens, non-Cornell students and youths 15-18. Tickets may be purchased at the door or reserved by calling 895-4293.
Riverside Theatre performances are Oct. 20-22, Oct. 26-29 and Nov. 2-5. For ticket information, call (319) 338-7672 noon to 5 p.m. weekdays.