The UA Theatre and Dance department will present Moliere’s Tartuffe next week from Tuesday, Sept. 29, to Saturday, Oct. 3, at 7:30 p.m. and on Sunday, Oct. 4, at 2 p.m. The show will be performed at the Marian Gallaway Theatre in Rowand-Johnson Hall.

Tartuffe was originally written as a comedy, but director Seth Panitch said he has bent it to make it more dramatic. The story is about a family in crisis. The main protagonist, Orgon, is terrified to lead his family and to lead his own life, Panitch said, and the play showcases the question of why we are weak enough to let hypocrisy run our lives.

“I think the story is really about him learning how to grow a pair,” Panitch said.

Organ is played by Ian Anderson, a graduate student in theatre and a professional actor. For those not necessarily familiar with classical theatre, he gave a bit more context.

“Think Ralph Kramden or Homer Simpson meets 1670’s French high society,” Anderson said.

Anderson said he thinks they have managed to make a heavily stylized piece very entertaining and accessible.

The cast consists of 14 actors, including both undergraduate and graduate students. Panitch said that he has abridged the play so that the show will last around an hour and 45 minutes, including the intermission. Ticket costs are $14 for students, $17 for seniors and UA faculty and staff, and $20 for adults.

For more information on the show, visit http://theatre.ua.edu/press-release/ua-theatre-dance-presents-molieres-tartuffe/