THE MISER

With whimsy and humor, Moliere has delighted millions of audience members over the years. The Elite Theatre’s current production of The Miser is a prime example of why.

A comic extension of William Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice, The Miser spins a tale that pokes fun at the French hierarchy and the class warfare that dominated Molière’s time. Upon opening, the audience sees young lovers Elise (Christine Cater) and Valere (Isaac Deakyne) as they confess their devotion to one another. It is a love that was born when Valere rescued the beautiful Elise from drowning, and a love that is now in danger of being put asunder by Elise’s oppressive, myopic, and indeed miserly father, the widower Harpagon (Doug Friedlander). Harpagon is singularly focused on adding to the fortune that he keeps buried somewhere on his property. Constantly paranoid that someone will find, steal, or even know about his hidden wealth, Harpagon’s consternation is further added to by the free-spending ways of his foppish son Cleante (Eric Mello), who looks to amass only enough money to keep himself in fashionable clothes and afford to marry the beautiful girl he has long admired from afar. Alas, as it must be in all great restoration comedies, the error of Harpagon’s tightfisted ways cannot hold love at bay nor can it subdue the tidal wave of happiness and laughter that caps the story’s end.

The direction by Elissa Polansky is bold and well-conceived, with a clear understanding of the material. The production team delivers costumes and ambiance that fit well the time and space. The cast as a whole is strong and able, anchored by the loveable, laughable, and laudable performance of Friedlander in the title role. His performance is both accessible and pitiable, showing an adroit sense of character and comic timing while endearing the miser, Harpagon, to the audience. As Cleante, Mello is staunch, passionate, and in love with the beautiful girl next door, played well by the fresh-faced Sandra Saad. Cater is engaging, playing the ingénue role with great feeling. Deakyne delivers admirably in the romantic lead, layering his performance with comedy, feeling, and surprising intensity, especially in the inventive fight sequence impressively staged within the compact space. The well-voiced and attractive Julie Fergus plays well the scheming Frosine, as does the flamboyant Joshua Kahn as La Fleche. Considerable comic and story contributions are also made by John Eslick, Phil Levere, Hayley Silvers, and Frank Payfer, all of whom add to the mirth and merriment as the story unfolds.

The Miser is by no means stingy on humor, but its greatest generosity is the storytelling. This production flows with a brisk pace and is a fine example of the validity and universality of this classic work. The Elite Theatre Company’s production of The Miser is as good as gold and fun for all audiences.

The Miser runs through July 22nd, at the Elite Theatre Company http://www.elitetheatre.org/