Say All The Truth Sports a Terrific Cast For its World Premiere at the Jungle Theater in Uptown

In a world premiere co-production with the Jungle Theater, The Moving Company (MOCO) has created an adaptation of the Moliere’s The Misanthrope that jettisens characters and plot points to examine the ideas at the heart of the 17th century classic. With design elements ripe for interpretation by the audience it’s both serious and comedic, confounding and illuminating. This is a thinking person’s play, not your standard light entertainment. So, while not to everyone’s taste perhaps, at just over 90 minutes I’d recommend it to those who are intimidated by the “artier” sounding productions. I think you’ll find it accessible even if it feels at times a little inscrutable. A little inscrutability can lead to some interesting discussions and analysis. The fantastic cast keep you enthralled and carry you through any sense that you might be in over your head. My advice is to go with it, don’t get hung up on what everything everyone is saying means, for what your beliefs are is likely some combination of the various characters and what they seem to represent.

Written by the Artistic Directors of MOCO Steven Epp, Dominique Serrand, and Nathan Keepers, this is a production that like Moliere’s original, is open to interpretations. Is the cvharacter of Alceste, the Misanthrope a hero or a fool? The play opens with Alceste telling Philinte that he can no longer be his friend because basically he’s too nice to people. The two debate the Alceste’s beliefs that one should speak the absolute truth at all times. As Alceste espouses his philosophies, one can sympathize with his ideals, but the practice of them is isolating, for he hates anyone who does not conform to his beliefs, which is more or less the entire human race. There are also a trio of sisters the middle sister Celimene is loved by Alceste, the younger Eliante has a mutual attraction with Philinte. The oldest, Arsinoe is like Alceste in that her values are of an extreme temperament, her’s of the moral majority. His love and obsession with Celimene is the only point at which Alceste wavers from his ideology, here it would seem he is the hypocrisy he rails so hard against, for Celimene is human, and contains many of the failings he so derides in others, but accepts in her. Love being the only human quality that he doesn’t scorn, it is also the one that undermines him as a hero, for his jealousy betrays him.

Steven Epp plays Alceste and knowing the company I doubt there was any question as they wrote it who would play this role. Epp can deliver his characters passionate take on things but can also bring a mopey quality, there is a wha wha quality to some of the line readings that really adds a touch of humor to what might otherwise be a dry espousing of philosophical dogma. Nathan Keepers sporting a blonde dye job as Philinte give a counterpointe performance always maintaining an even keel, we recognize his go along to get along approach as reflective of most of us. Tracey Maloney as Eliante is engagely innocent, she is the one character you are not conflicted about, she gets the most laughs and perhaps in a play filled with weighty arguments her lightness uplifts the whole affair. Liz Wisan is Celimene, the one person who always seems in control of themselves and at peace with themself. Wisan, brings a quiet confidence and sense of control to the character. Finally and last, but definitely not least is Twin Cities treasure Sally Wingert as the epitome of moral hypocrisy Arsinoe. No one plays the this sort of condescension like Wingert, she is wonderfully surgical in her ability to take offense and be offensive in the same breathe.

The play is directed by and designed by Dominique Serrand who makes some odd choices which probably represent something to him, but what they are is open to the audience to interpret. That’s not necessarily a bad thing if what you are hoping to do is get your audience talking and thinking about the show afterwards. Why are people moving around at times seemingly randomly or in a wandering circular way? Why is the ceiling leaking? Is there a key to the characters in the coloring of their costumes? These are some of the questions you may find yourself asking, but don’t stop there, try answering them. That’s what can be so rewarding about a show like this, it can get the little gray cells moving. Those costumes are designed by Sonya Berlovitz and they are effective in commenting on their characters and giving them each a distinct, not just look, but feel.

Say All the Truth runs through November 26th at Jungle Theater for more information and to purchase tickets go to https://www.jungletheater.org/

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