Tartuffe

In the comedy "Tartuffe," Molière enters into a fierce struggle against sanctimony and hypocrisy. The play became the subject of scandals and furious battles. Twice the clergy sought to have it banned. Twice Molière turned to the king for help. Twice he reworked the play, changing its title and the name of its main character. And twice the Ilkhom Theatre changed the premiere date. Today it is one of the most famous plays in the world, and the name "Tartuffe" has become a household word. It has turned into a symbol of hypocrisy and duplicity that, in 400 years, has not grown outdated or even changed its face…

FROM THE PREFACE TO "TARTUFFE," WRITTEN BY MOLIÈRE

"Here is a comedy that made a great deal of noise and was banned for a long time. The people portrayed in it proved themselves stronger than all those I had portrayed before. Marquises, affected ladies, cuckolds, doctors — all of them meekly bore their fate when they were brought onto the stage, pretending to be amused by the portrait drawn from them. But the hypocrites did not wish to endure the mockery; they grew angry at once and found it strange that I should have the boldness to bring their grimaces onto the stage and to ridicule what so many good people indulge in. This sin they could not forgive me, and they rose up against my comedy as one, with terrifying fury. "Tartuffe," in their interpretation, offends piety; it is filled from beginning to end with vileness, and there is not a line in it that does not deserve the stake. Every syllable and letter in it is criminal; every glance, every turn of the head, every step to the right or left conceals secrets that turn out to be capable of being twisted into an accusation against me. I wish to justify my comedy in the eyes of truly pious people, and I beg them with all my heart not to condemn it before they have seen it themselves, to cast aside all prejudice, and not to serve as instruments of the passions of those whose conduct dishonors them. Whoever takes the trouble to examine my comedy impartially will, without doubt, be convinced that my intentions were entirely innocent, that the play in no way aims to mock what ought to be revered, that I worked on it with all the caution such a subject required, and that all my art, all my effort, was devoted to marking the difference between a hypocrite and a sincere believer."

Running time: 3 hours (with intermission)

Latecomers will not be admitted to the auditorium — please arrive in advance.

J.-B. Molière

Director: Boris Gafurov