Yorktown High School The
Imaginary Invalid
By Cappies •
Nov 17th, 2008 • Category: Cappies
The classical style of Moliere met the
rambunctious and energetic expression of Commedia dell’ Arte in an explosion of
theatrical creativity at Yorktown High School this weekend in their production
of The Imaginary Invalid.
Originally performed in 1673, the one act tells
the comical tale of the hypochondriac Argan, who is convinced that he is direly
ill, when in fact he is not. In order to receive free medical care, he decides
to have his daughter, Angelique, marry a doctor. Unfortunately, Angelique is
already in love with young Cleante. It is up to Angelique, with the help of
Argan’s brother, Beralde, and their clever servant, Toinette, to convince her
father that he is not ailing and that she, therefore, need not marry a doctor.
Yorktown made a clever choice in deciding to
perform this already hysterical piece with the masks, mannerisms, and stock
characters that accompany Commedia dell’ Arte. Although the mayhem at the
beginning was slightly confusing, as the performance went on, it became easier
to follow. The production as a whole was very enjoyable. The talent of every
member of the cast was remarkable. Even as the actors took turns playing the
lead characters, the show maintained its flow.
The actors switched off playing the lead roles;
with three acts, there were three Argans and three Toinettes. Though all three
actors in the role of Argan brought enthusiasm and energy to the character,
Philip Baraoidan, taking the role in Act One, stood out, bringing
remarkable and noticeable depth to the ancient stock character. Similarly,
Allison Ham as Toinette in Act Three shone in her mastery of melodrama.
Emily Johnson also demonstrated the powers of intentional overacting
necessary for her character in her portrayal of Angelique.
Not only did the actors alternate playing the
leads, they also traded off playing the three Zanni, or servants. The Zanni
ensemble in Act One, played by Paul Kenny, Elaine McCartin, and
Eileen Sugameli was particularly well-acted. In constant motion, the
ensemble was always entertaining but never detracted from the main action of the
show.
Although there were a few glitches in the
technical aspects of the show, there were also strong points. The sets crafted
by the Yorktown set crew were wonderfully versatile. The costumes, headed by
Raphael Regan, Philip Baraoidan, and Emily Johnson, were fantastic.
Cohesive but unique to each character, removable pieces passed between leads
made it easy to follow who was who.
Although The Imaginary Invalid is difficult
to alter, Yorktown made the show their own in an enjoyable evening of laughs and
lazzis.
by Allie Cropp of Fairfax High
School
Reviewed on November 15, 2008
Keith
Boylan
George C. Marshall
Submitted for publication to Washington
Post - Alexandria/Arlington Extra
Argan the Miser’s body is giving
him trouble...but what is the source of all this pain and misery? Is it the
liver? The spleen? The lungs? Or, perhaps, simply the head? Regardless of the
diagnosis, Yorktown High School's performance of "The Imaginary Invalid" last
weekend had the audience "sick" with laughter.
"The Imaginary Invalid" is
the story of the hypochondriac Argan (Philip Baraoidan, Ben Taylor, and Paul
Kenney), an old man who is constantly worried about his health, which he thinks
is rapidly deteriorating. Thus, Argan is ardently loyal to his entourage of
doctors and pharmacists and decides it would be a great idea for his daughter
Angelique (Emily Johnson) to marry a doctor so he can reap the benefits of his
profession and save some money on treatment. Angelique has other plans, however,
as she is already deeply in love with young Cleante (Sam Taylor).
With
its wildly energetic cast and incredibly fast-paced action, "The Imaginary
Invalid" proves to be a very exciting and entertaining performance, from the
minute the actors flock into the theatre through the aisles of the house, to the
end of the semi-musical and pleasantly bizarre “doctrification ceremony” finale.
After the initial shock and necessary acclimatization to the Commedia dell'Arte
style of the play, with light-speed rhymes and transitions that flow like an
erratic Dr. Seuss story, the performance is immensely fun and enjoyable.
All of the actors emoted extremely well, especially when one takes into
consideration the fact that almost all of them were wearing masks that covered
all but their mouths. One standout role was that of Angelique, nailed by Emily
Johnson, whose marvelously melodramatic portrayal of Argan's hopelessly romantic
daughter was as hilarious as it was well-done. Shrieking and sighing her way
through the three acts all on her own, while most of the other parts were traded
between actors, she dominated the stage with her electrifying presence composed
of absurd facial expressions, classic gestures, and great vocal variety.
Despite some shaky spotlights, the lighting in the show was
well-executed, illuminating the entire stage and a good deal of the house, which
was appropriate considering the actors had already broken and jubilantly
trampled upon the fourth wall within the first few minutes of the show. Overall
this added wonderfully to the style of the play, as did the great three-piece
wagon set that swiveled around after each act to reveal a new
room.
Yorktown put on a crazy show last weekend, and though "The
Imaginary Invalid" had a terrible case of the sillies, it was a wildly amusing
romp through Moliere’s final play.
Ashley Adams
South Lakes High
School
Submitted for publication to Washington Post -
Alexandria/Arlington Extra
It began with a single shoe suspended
above the stage…and only got stranger as the night progressed! Yorktown High
School’s production of "The Imaginary Invalid," Moliere's last work, first
performed in 1673, was a night of pure comedy.
Argan (Philip Baraoidan,
Ben Taylor, and Paul Kenney), the perpetual hypochondriac, sits in bed, perusing
the bill for his latest slew of medical treatments. Due to his endless imaginary
illnesses, Argan’s doctors have been more than willing to prescribe any
treatment, in the process "bleeding" him dry. To help lessen the financial
burden, the miser decides to marry his daughter, Angelique (Emily Johnson), off
to a physician. However, as the audience soon discovers, Angelique has recently
and unfortunately fallen in love with the handsome Cleante (Sam Taylor).
The production was performed with an undeniable energy that never
wavered throughout the show. The entire cast committed brilliantly to the
larger-than-life Commedia dell'Arte style. Along with stellar costumes and an
aesthetically pleasing and functional set, and with the exception of a few
lighting problems, the show was well-paced and flowed very smoothly.
While each actor playing a rotating part brought something unique to
their respective roles, Philip Baraoidan was exceptional in his portrayal of
Argan in Act One. He completed his characterization with a teeth-grinding,
wheezy voice and several gestures and neuroses unique to his character. Emily
Johnson was perfectly melodramatic as Angelique, alternatively whining or
frolicking about the stage whenever the respective occasion called for
it.
Erin Reitz played Argan’s unfaithful wife with just the right amounts
of cunning and carelessness. Her bit with Monsieur Bonnefoy had the audience
laughing hysterically. Allison Ham brought something special to her role as
Toinette, her great energy and comedic timing moving the scene along as well as
adding a few laughs.
The Zanni set the tone of each scene using wacky,
over-the-top movements to make up for whatever facial expression were lost to
their masks. Always present in the scene, usually underplaying nicely with small
bits, they never upstaged the main action.
The Yorktown Set Crew
deserves a round of applause for their functional yet visually appealing sets.
Beautifully decorated, with Argan’s bed doubling as a bench, the wheeled set
pieces allowed for easy set changes. All of Yorktown’s costumes were notable as
well, with several pieces being either completely or almost entirely original.
There were some problems with lighting, however; follow spots would occasionally
jump ahead or behind the actor they were meant to follow.
Altogether,
Yorktown put on a very enjoyable evening with their production of "The Imaginary
Invalid." Their commitment to the show's energy really made the audience part of
the show and kept everyone engaged in the show’s goings on.
Alex Turner
South Lakes High
School
Submitted for publication to Connection
From the
back of the theatre, a high-spirited company of players tumbled down the aisles
with chandeliers, costumes, and props in hand. The audience quickly discovered
that this traveling troupe would deliver a wonderful night of comedy in Yorktown
High School's production of "The Imaginary Invalid."
"The Imaginary
Invalid," Moliere's last work, debuted in 1673 starring the playwright himself.
The play satirizes the silliness of doctors of the time period who scammed
patients, billing them for phony medicines and procedures. The story follows the
rich hypochondriac Argan as he forges through life trying to understand the
mayhem ensuing in his household while longing for his next dose of unnecessary
medicine.
Presented in its original Commedia dell' Arte style, the
Yorktown players succeeded in presenting a well-developed period production. One
of the most impressive feats was the continuity of the characters, as multiple
actors stepped in to play them. A single role might be played by as many as
three actors throughout the show, with the transitions cleverly indicated by the
passing of a mask or by interludes between acts. The lead role of Argan was
shared by Philip Baraoidan, Ben Taylor, and Paul Kenney. Each added his own
flair to the character but stayed consistent in landing comedic moments and
maintaining the stature and personality of nutty old Argan. Opposite these
actors, Emily Johnson playing Angelique, the daughter of Argan, filled the stage
with her presence and grace as a proper lady of the time while supplying
hilarity to all situations.
The principal actors were handily supported
by a talented ensemble cast. The actors took the audience on a fast paced, high
energy ride while conquering many challenges presented by the piece. One of
these challenges was acting behind the traditional Commedia masks used to
represent the stock characters in the show. The actors were mostly successful in
exuding a bevy of expressions and emotions solely through the movement of their
mouths and eyes. A second challenge was ensuring that the rhyming couplets did
not become monotonous or too "sing-songy." The ensemble's clear understanding of
the text and the characters' motivations were shown through their skilled
delivery. One notable group that embodied the style of Commedia dell' Arte was
the Zanni ensemble, the clowns of the show who provided slapstick comedy and
physical humor that was the cornerstone of the stylized show.
The
technical aspects of this production were simple but exquisite and appropriate
to the time period. Costumes were bright and provided clear commentary on a
character's social class. Especially noteworthy was the set, a rolling interior
of a French estate that could be configured into multiple settings.
In a
Commedia dell'Arte tour de force, "The Imaginary Invalid" rejuvenated the period
style and provided for a "sickeningly" good night of comedy.
