My name is Patrick Leigh and I am the director of Waseca Community Ed’s production of “The Imaginary Invalid.” Elijah Ayers is our assistant director as well as our producer. It has been about seven years since Waseca had an adult-centered community show.
About the cast and crew
The cast of this show has been a riot to work with. We have a treasure trove of raw talent in our group, and much of the chemistry has happened completely naturally. Elijah and myself have had to give very little direction when it comes to timing, character development, and overall performance. They all know the theatre lingo, and they have amazingly hilarious ideas. It’s been our pleasure to have Andrew Harrison, a Waseca and MSU alumni, playing our lead. In addition, his dramaturge knowledge and familiarity with the show has made his presence in this production a necessity. Not only do we have several professional performers and thespians, but everyone has been on board with this show since they first read it. Everyone understood the jokes, and they knew they could make it even funnier. Our crew has been a gift as well. Bella Overholt, another alumni of Waseca, has been an indispensable stage manager throughout this show, going above and beyond to work on set, props, and costumes.
About the show
“The Imaginary Invalid” was written around 400 years ago by renowned French playwright, Molière. The show revolves around the household and life of a wealthy hypochondriac in 17th Century France. The show is what’s commonly known as a farce; a comedic and dramatic show, usually involving the use of both high-brow and slapstick humor.
When Molière wrote this show, he was in the last stages of tuberculosis, with doctors having done almost nothing to truly help him. His response was to create a social commentary, poking fun both at the doctors, and those who blindly followed their teachings and remedies. While around the same time as true medical professionals taking the first few steps into modern medicine as we know it, these “hocum” doctors swindled people in the form of incessant prescriptions and treatments. The whole show still serves as a precautionary tale of misinformation and naivety, while at the same time remaining lighthearted and witty.
About the characters
The cast of characters are both incredibly subtle and ridiculous caricatures, miraculously, at the same time. Argan, our main character, is a miserly hypochondriac, held hostage by his own medical anxiety and by the outdated practices of doctors at the time. His maid, Toinette, and his brother, Beralde, serve as the main voices of reason throughout the story. The breaking point in Argan’s family’s patience with his irrationalities happens when he attempts to arrange a marriage for his eldest daughter, Angelique. The characters that reside throughout the rest of the story are so vibrant and hysterical, they can only be experienced in person. Our cast has absolutely thrived in these roles. From a doctor that’s only waist-high, to a less-than-ideal potential fiance, the lineup of strange individuals is complimented splendidly by the talent in our production.
The work being put in by both our cast and crew on this show is astounding. Even after almost two months, we’re still laughing at jokes we’ve done a hundred times. This has been both Elijah and I’s first show on our own, where all of the shots are truly our shots to call. The team we’ve been lucky enough to work with has made all of those shots easy to call. The show is fresh every time they perform it, and they can’t wait to let others in on the jokes. Performances are the last weekend in July, with the Friday, Aug. 29, and the Saturday, Aug. 30, performances at 7:00pm, and the Sunday, Aug. 31 performance at 1:30pm. Doors open a half hour before the shows start.
