The Imaginary Invalid
by Molière
directed by Jessie Austrian and Noah Brody
Fiasco Theater, in collaboration with The Old Globe, brought its unique and joyful style to a Globe-commissioned world premiere adaptation of Molière's 1673 classic, The Imaginary Invalid. The production ran from May 27 to July 2, 2017, and was co-directed by Fiasco’s Jessie Austrian and Noah Brody.
The show's creative team set out to adapt the play's elaborate, song- and dance-filled interludes into an inventive and high-spirited theatrical experience. The cast, which included Fiasco ensemble members Paul L. Coffey, Andy Grotelueschen, and Emily Young, was celebrated for its "superior teamwork" and "high-spirited spontaneity". The production was hailed as "a tonic for what ails you" and a "masterpiece" that transcended its period with imaginative physical comedy and musical forms ranging from madrigals to upbeat alt-folk.
THE IMAGINARY INVALID
by Molière
directed by Jessie Austrian and Noah Brody
May 27 – July 2, 2017
presented by Fiasco Theater and The Old Globe
Fiasco Theater, in collaboration with The Old Globe, brought its unique and joyful style to a Globe-commissioned world premiere adaptation of Molière's 1673 classic. The show's creative team set out to adapt the play's elaborate, song- and dance-filled interludes into an inventive and high-spirited theatrical experience.
Featuring Jessie Austrian, Noah Brody, Paul L. Coffey, Andy Grotelueschen, Kevin Hafso-Koppman, Jane Pfitsch, Emily Young
Creative Team
Set Designer: Takeshi Kata
Costume Designer: Emily Rebholtz
Lighting Designer: Russell Champa
Sound Designer: Melanie Cole Chen
Movement: Stephen Buescher
Music Director/Composer: Ben Steinfeld
The list above includes the core creative team, but is not comprehensive. We are grateful and lucky to have worked with everyone who made Fiasco Theater’s The Imaginary Invalid possible, from the teams backstage and front of house to design associates and interns, and all of you, our community and audience members.
Reviews
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“The seven-actor show…doesn’t radically remake Molière so much as punch up scenes and relationships with imaginative physical comedy and sly modern touches. Fiasco’s major interpretive gambit is in tackling Molière’s elaborate, song- and dance-filled interludes (which many productions simply jettison), and adapting them into forms that range from simple, beautifully harmonized French-language madrigals to upbeat alt-folk to a trippy scene of disco-dancing doctors.”
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“When Fiasco Theater gets going, they could make the phonebook sidesplitting — and melodious. The small but mighty (and mighty talented) New York-based ensemble theatre is making its second guest appearance at The Old Globe.”
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“The whole enterprise is aglow with superior teamwork. The actors so obviously respect and trust each other and the style of the performances is so smoothly synchronized that the effect is high-spirited spontaneity…There just isn’t much not to like about this show or this company. I’d cross the street anytime to see them do anything, the way I’m feeling right now. But their insight is especially valuable when set towards the admirable goal of mining for works that transcend their period.”