Sennett: The Imaginary Invalid - A Review

Evan Sennett, IC Columnist

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A mountain of file cabinets protrudes from the stage floor. A desk. A couch. A decrepit wheelchair. Suddenly, a brightly costumed cast emerges from a secret door within the file cabinets. The University of Toledo Department of Theater and Film presents the final farce of Molière, The Imaginary Invalid.

The file cabinets belong to Argan, a hypochondriac aristocrat addicted to medical treatment (particularly enemas). Molière’s final satire is a skeptical look at medicine in a time when the wealthy believed that purging bodily fluids on a regular basis was a healthy practice. But UT’s performance of The Imaginary Invalid is not a period piece — in fact, it takes place in no time or place at all.

I was originally thrown off by Argan’s faux British accent while other characters sampled hints of French dialect. But Carter Makiewicz (Argan) won me over with wonderfully subtle comic timing and a sometimes not-so-subtle parody of pretentiousness.

The entire performance was one of mix-and-match. Director Holly Monsos altered the genders and nationalities of many characters from Molière’s original play in order to heighten the comic abilities of the performers. I got the sense that everyone on stage was there for a reason — not because they looked the part but because they could be the part.

It is always difficult to portray an elderly character when the pool of actors happens to only be in college. But Argan’s youthful look only added to the absurdity of his imaginary illnesses.

The monolithic skene, which acted the spectacular centerpiece, was comprised of hundreds of colored drawers. When a character would open a drawer, white light would spill onto the stage from somewhere deep inside the structure. I love imaginative production design like this.

The technical team (Daniel Thobias, Nathaniel White and Stephen Sakowski) helped breathe three-dimensional life into Monsos’s blocking. This is especially helpful in farcical drama; at all times there are multiple things going on.

The plot threads were quickly tangled before our eyes. Perhaps two characters were having a conversation in the foreground of the stage, but there was always something else going on in every corner.

Famously, Molière collapsed on stage during a performance of The Imaginary Invalid; it was common in those days for the playwright to perform as the lead character. It is said that his coughing fit was so violent, the audience believed it was a rehearsed part of the play. I’m sure they got a good laugh out of Molière’s pain, but this tragic event opened the door for a variety of imaginative spins on the Invalid.

Over the centuries, this classic play has been performed around the world in countless ways.

Originally, ballet was a huge part of the performance. With the help of composer Stephen Caldwell, Monsos was able to create original music interludes throughout the show, with an especially ridiculous one at the end.

This interpretation reminds me of French comedy films from the early 1930s; the play had an almost-musical theater quality to it. The entire final scene is a musical number, sung in fake Latin. The language barrier of Molière’s French and modern English are finally bridged with nonsensical verse.

The audience roared with approval. I suppose, deep down, everyone is aware of their own imaginary ideas. To call attention to the pretentious part of ourselves is a relief and a delightful evening of student theater.

Evan Sennett is a sophomore studying Film and English Literature, and he is also an IC cartoonist.

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Sennett: The Imaginary Invalid - A Review