2017 Show – The Would-be Gentleman

Frontispiece and titlepage from a 1688 edition of “The Would-be Gentleman”
Frontispiece and title page from a 1688 edition of “The Would-be Gentleman”

Our 2017 show in French was one of Molière’s most celebrated comedies, The Would-be Gentleman (“Le Bourgeois gentilhomme”).

The Would-be Gentleman is a five-act comedy-ballet in prose, with wonderful music by royal composer Jean-Baptiste Lully, that was first performed on October 14, 1670 for Louis XIV at the Château de Chambord, and then from November 23, 1670 at the Théâtre du Palais-Royal in Paris where it enjoyed great success. It successfully satirizes both the aspiring bourgeoisie and the decadent nobility.

For more on the play, see the Wikipedia articles about The Would-be Gentleman and about Molière. The full texts of the play in English and French as well as one-page summaries in English and French are available below, and you can follow us on social media to be kept abreast of other developments.

A 19th century costume for the role of Mr. Jourdain, title character of The Would-be Gentleman
A 19th century costume for the role of Mr. Jourdain, title character of The Would-be Gentleman

We gave two performances, on Friday and Saturday, April 21 & 22, 2017, at 8 PM at the George Ignatieff Theatre on the downtown campus of the University of Toronto. Printed copies of the one-page summary in English as well as projected surtitles in English were available at both shows. One could purchase tickets on-line, with seats to be assigned following a consultation with our box office staff beginning April 10, 2017; or one was able to contact our box office by telephone weekdays 11 AM – 5 PM starting April 10, 2017. Tickets, if any remained, were available at the door on the nights of the performances with payment by cash only.

Practical Information

Date and Time

Friday, April 21 and Saturday, April 22, 2017 at 8 PM
English surtitles were shown both days

Location

George Ignatieff Theatre
Trinity College
University of Toronto
15 Devonshire Place
Toronto, ON M5S 1H8
Subway: St. George; Bedford Road exit, then 400 m on foot

Maps
Full texts and summaries
Miscellaneous