Molière’s “Tartuffe” tells the story of a fraudulent wanderer who claims divine authority and preaches pious devotion in order to prey on others. Also called The Imposter or The Hypocrite, Tartuffe is described by Richard Wilbur as “not a satire but a 'deep' comedy in which (1) a knave tries to control life by cold chicanery, (2) a fool tries to oppress life by [conscious and] unconscious misuse of the highest values, and (3) life, happily, will not have it.” 

In both Tartuffe and Donald Trump, we find the story of men who choose to tyrannize those around them for possessing what they do not, the story of men who were taught by society that they needed to possess everything. They were taught to take from others whatever they desire. Tartuffe and Le Tartuffe Orange tell a cautionary tale that shows the result of teaching toxically masculine ideology and supremacy. Through this new production, SoHo Shakes ventures to further expose the toxicity within our currently systemized patriarchal regime, and to elucidate on the need for teaching social equitability above all else.