The Imaginary Invalid

Moliere penned his final play, the slapstick comedy THE IMAGINARY INVALID more than 450 years ago, and it is not only amazing that this lesser-known play still stands the test of time, but how visionary this comedy, currently being seen in Constance Congdon’s new adaptation at the American Conservatory Theatre, has become. Or should we really be surprised in this age of plentiful medication-as doctors scribble prescriptions faster than it takes to gulp a handful of pills down with a glass of water-that THE IMAGINARY INVALID feels as relevant today as it did when healers swore by snake oil and holy water rather than Nexium and Zoloft? Moreover, Congdon has folded in a healthy dose of present-day nuances and innuendos, as well as beefed up the plot. The result is an entertaining and jovial romp…The great Frenchman’s last contribution to the world’s stage-he died onstage while playing Argan-proves that time has stood still when it comes to the eternal nature of the hypochondriac. Tiffany Maleshefski, TheaterMania.com Lean, clean and comically bent…a bright evening of amusement and occasional hilarity. Dennis Harvey, Variety