The Conspirators present Tartuffe, or, The Charlatan by playwright Molière (1622-1673), directed by Wm. Bullion, at Stars & Garters, 3914 N. Clark St., May 8 - June 7. The production includes two preview performances on Friday, May 8 and Saturday, May 9 at 7 p.m. with the press opening Thursday, May 14 at 7 p.m. The regular performance schedule is Thursdays - Sundays at 7 p.m. and there is a special industry performance on Monday, June 1 at 7 p.m. Tickets are $30 and may be purchased online at Humanitix.com. Preview tickets are available for $15 at Humanitix.com/Cheap-Previews-Tartuffe. For more information about The Conspirators, please visit ConspireWithUs.org.
Hot on the heels of last year’s smash hits, Duck Soup! and Chicago Cop Macbeth, the Conspirators now return to lovingly dismantle Molière’s classic Commedia-inspired masterpiece, Tartuffe, or, The Charlatan. Molière and arguably his greatest comedy have enjoyed a major revival in recent years, including two high-profile reimaginings starring Matthew Broderick (plus David Cross!) and André De Shields. Following these acclaimed runs, The Conspirators will be Chicago’s 2026 Tartuffe flag-bearers, bringing their high-energy provocative attitude to another timely classic.
This story takes place in the home of the wealthy Orgon, where Tartuffe—a fraud and a pious charlatan—has insinuated himself. He succeeds in winning Orgon’s respect and devotion then attempts to marry his daughter, seduce his wife, and seize the deed to his property. Tartuffe nearly gets away with it, too, but an emissary from THE KING arrives in time to recover the property, free Orgon and haul Tartuffe off to jail. The charlatan’s duplicity is finally exposed and punished, but not before the author mercilessly skewers the evil that men can commit with the right cult following. Tartuffe, or, The Charlatan is a comedy about the dangers that imperil those who would believe only what they choose to believe despite a mountain of evidence to the contrary.
The cast of Tartuffe, or The Charlatan will be announced at a later date.
The production team for Tartuffe, or, The Charlatan is led by Conspirators Producing Director Sid Feldman (he/him, producer/style coach) and Wm. Bullion (he/him, director/executive artistic director) and includes Morgan Laszlo (they/them, Scenic Design), Abby Gillette (she/her, Lighting & Props Design), Ollie Voirin (he/him, Costume Design), Sebby Woldt (they/them, Sound Design), Libby Beyreis (she/her, Violence Design), Hailey D. Blackstone (she/they, Technical Director/Production Manager), Stef Brundage (they/them, Dramaturg), Peg Burr (she/her, Asst. Director), Matthew Bonaccorso (he/him, Stage Manager), and Jackie Cormier (she/her, Asst. Stage Manager)
ABOUT WM. BULLION (Director, Executive Artistic Director)
Wm. Bullion is a veteran tragicomedian, director and actor on the fringe of the Chicago theater fringe and beyond. Bullion is an emeritus member of The Factory Theater, for whom he directed Prophet$ and Born Ready. He started Sliced Bread Productions in 1988 and put up some fine work before it folded in 2008. He co-founded The Conspirators in 2016 and has proudly directed their oeuvre, including Duck Soup, Chicago Cop Macbeth, Viva la Mort; Commedia Divina: It’s Worse Than That; The Ineptidemic; Accidental Death of a Black Motorist; The Deckchairs, or Make the Titanic Great Again and The Resistible Rise of Herr Helmut Drumpf—but he was a fool to think starting another theater group in Chicago is a viable, sustainable idea. Yet, here we are.
ABOUT SID FELDMAN (Producer/Style Coach, Producing Director)
Sid Feldman co-founded The Conspirators and has written plays, adaptations, screenplays, reviews and essays. He has produced plays, concerts and events for numerous organizations including New Crime and Sliced Bread Productions (also with Wm. Bullion).
ABOUT THE CONSPIRATORS
The Conspirators are a (newfangled) theater and performance collective in Chicago dedicated to provoking thought and action through dynamic, immediate theater art. The Conspirators work exclusively in a style of neo-Commedia called “The Style”—a highly theatrical performance mode developed by movie stars Tim Robbins and John Cusack from the techniques of Ariane Mnouchkine, Commedia dell’Arte, Bugs Bunny cartoons and punk rock, as historically performed by New Crime Prod. (R.I.P.) and The Actors’ Gang. The company also offers free Style workshops to interested performers of all calibers.
The Conspirators present Tartuffe, or, The Charlatan by Molière, directed by Wm. Bullion, at Stars & Garters, 3914 N. Clark St., May 8 - June 7. The production includes two preview performances on Friday, May 8 and Saturday, May 9 at 7 p.m. with the press opening Thursday, May 14 at 7 p.m. The regular performance schedule is Thursdays - Sundays at 7 p.m. and there is a special industry performance on Monday, June 1 at 7 p.m. Tickets are $30 and may be purchased online at Humanitix.com. Preview tickets are available for $15 at Humanitix.com/Cheap-Previews-Tartuffe. For more information about The Conspirators, please visit ConspireWithUs.org.