Moliere and the TGA unite for an evening of laughter

By David Young
Panama’s much loved Theatre Guild opens its 2013 season with a renowned classic that has survived the years and still has audiences shaking in their seats.

Shaking with laugher of course, because we are talking of Moliere’s 17th century comedy masterpiece The School for Wives (L'école des femmes) Its comedic twisted plot, presented  in modern form by the TGA cast is considered by some critics to be one of his finest achievements. When I was in school we had to act the play in French but even for those of us at the La plume de ma tante level, the humor got through even our fractured French, and we learned that laughter penetrates all language barriers. For the Panama audience later this month there will be no tangled phrases, only the clear English interpretation we have come to expect from those who tread the boards in Ancon.

The plot centers around Arnolfo, a middle aged man, afraid of female dominance who who plans to marry Agnes, his foolish young ward, who has been in his care since early childhood. He believes that the secret to a happy marriage is to keep her in a state of blissful ignorance and goes to extraordinary lengths to protect her from knowledge of the real world while molding her character to remain gentle, helpful and silly. while making his own clumsy advances The inevitable young lover appears and the twisted plot become an enduring comedic piece that transcends time.
At 63 The TGA is still a bouncing youngster compared to the works of Moliere, but thanks to people like those listed below, it’s going to be around for a long while yet.
The play directed by MingThoy Sanjur  and produced by Simon Tejeira and assistant producer Melanie, Lee, opens on Thursday February 28 and continues on March 1, 2, 7 and 8.
The cast includes many names familiar to those who follow the enduring series of fine, performances at the TGA
Arnolfo: Amit Nathani, Crisálido: H.B. Twohy, Agnes: Mingthoy Sanjur, Georgette: Kari King, Alain: Walden Davis. Horacio: Felipe Echandi, Oronte: Daniel Heinrichs, Enrique: Steve Barnett, Notary: Jose Mosque