Moliere's IMAGINARY INVALID AT THE SEATTLE REP

only a single actor-tress here deserves praise

and that is Zoë Winters' Angélique who will shortly star in a revival of Oklahoma and was an obvious and deserved crowd favorite for her energy.
The rest are either mediocre or not up to the task, especially the actor portraying Argan.
Alice Playten as Toinette is a one note pony with an enervating Brooklyn accent that does not fit in with the voices of the rest of the cast.
Briskman as Béline appears to be a man in drag, something that characterizes the show and Seattle acting in general except for the above mentioned Zoë Winters' Angélique. Perhapa Briskman is a man, who can tell these days? And does it matter??


The entire production, except for Zoë Winters' Angélique, is done in a faggified style that has taken over, especially in Seattle, and that I find ridiculous and oppressive. My companion at the show gave the director credit for parodying contempory homosexual style - no, I think this way of doing things comes quite naturally. And reviewers don't notice it? Are too bloody p.c. to comment?? Arne Zaslove who has directed a lot of Moliere, and twice The Imaginary, mentioned that Moliere and this play have nothing to do with fagdom. So why this style?



The lousy French at the opening of the show is also a cliché.


Matters change, after a fairly turgid start, once this cast plays ensemble, at which they are strongest with a rousing ending. Trouble is that Moliere does not have Shakespearean language at his command, brilliant as his notions are. E.G. - if it is his and not Congdon's of Argan wafting the smell of his own farts into his nose reminds us of Freud's comment that everyone loves the smell of their own shit, for if you don't you are truly in deep doo with your precious self.

Yrs bloodymindedly as always,

M. Roloff