Bonjour Citygaragistes,
We are very proud and excited to announce the launch of our new talk show: “Animal Farm: Conversations on Theater and Politics With Steven Leigh Morris and Guests.” Our first guest this week is Jon Lawrence Rivera, Artistic Director of Playwrights’ Arena. We’ll be posting a new show every Thursday.
Please watch and share with your friends. You can see it on our Animal Farm page.
Have questions for Steven, or suggestions for topics or guests? We also want your pet and animal videos. Please submit them at the bottom of this page.
City Garage Classic, “The Bourgeois Gentleman”
We’re also happy to bring you this week one of audience favorites, a production from 2008, Moliere’s “The Bourgeois Gentleman” translated and adapted by Frederique Michel and Charles Duncombe. It was nominated for Best Adaptation by the LA Weekly as well as Best Comedy Performance (Jeff Atik). It was also a “Critic’s Choice” in the LA Times and a “Go” in the LA Weekly. Here is a little bit about it:
“Nominated for “Best Adaptation” by the LA Weekly, and a “Critic’s Choice” in the Los Angeles Times, this sparkling new translation/adaptation of Moliere’s classic comedy le Bourgeois Gentilhomme was described by the LA Times as a “gracefully loopy soufflé” and an “unguarded hoot.” Wealthy and foolish Monsieur Jourdain is in love with the Countess Dorimène and aches to be what he is not—a member of the aristocracy. Determined to overcome his low birth with an education in high style, he unwittingly surrounds himself with charlatans and swindlers who gleefully take his money and prey on his innocence. Originally written by Moliere as a “comedy ballet” for Louis XIV, this new translation re-imagines the play for today’s audience, transporting us into an extravagant fantasy world of song, dance, and upper class nonsense with a French accent.”
Here is what the critics had to say:
“With a generous soupcon of witty anarchy…this sleek City Garage take on Moliere’s deathless satire of nouveau riche pretensions and aristocratic machinations is nominally avante garde, but mainly an unguarded hoot….With many wicked analogies to modern mores, Michel and Duncombe slyly tailor our times into their tart adaptation, complete with anachronisms, nonstop postures, and purposely limp songs….everyone embraces the formalized mischief with élan.”
“Critic’s Choice,” Los Angeles Times
“Frederique Michel and Charles Duncombe’s fresh and bawdy translation-adaptation serves up a bouquet of comedic delights.”
“Go,” LA Weekly
It will be showing on our City Garage YouTube channel from 8:00pm this Friday, October 23rd, through midnight on Wednesday, October 28th.
It’s free to view but we ask people to make a donation if they can through our Chuffed page:
https://chuffed.org/project/citygarage
Merci to our generous donors of this last week, Michele and Curt Wittig.
Until next week, stay safe, wear a mask, and vote!
Love,
Frederique
(Left to right) Jeff Atik, Max Molina photo: Paul Rubenstein