"Tartuffe," by Moliere

The Knox College Department of Theatre and Dance presents "Tartuffe," by Moliere, directed by Neil Blackadder, associate professor of theatre, at 7:30 p.m. on October 24 and 25, and at 8 p.m. on October 31 and November 1, in Harbach Theatre, Ford Center for the Fine Arts on the Knox campus in Galesburg, Illinois.

Tickets are $10 for adults, $5 for senior citizens, and free to all students and members of the Knox College faculty and staff. In addition, there is a special ticket price of $5 for Knox College alumni for the October 31 and Nov. 1 performances, which take place during Knox's Homecoming Weekend.

The 17th-century satire portrays a wily opportunist, Tartuffe, who gains the trust of a gullible, rich man and his family. The play was controversial when first performed in France in 1664, but became a hit in 1669 when it gained official approval from the king of France, Louis XIV.

" 'Tartuffe' is the most frequently produced comedy by Moliere," said Blackadder. "It puts a satiric turn on religious hypocrisy that is still funny and provocative today."

The students in the play gained additional insight into Moliere's satire from a visit to Knox earlier this fall by Timothy Mooney, an acclaimed actor, director and playwright who has performed and adapted a number of Moliere's works and characters. Mooney met with the cast and crew of the Knox production and performed his one-man show, "Moliere Than Thou," based on Moliere's characters.

Founded in 1837, Knox is a national liberal arts college in Galesburg, Illinois, with students from 48 states and 42 nations. Knox's 'Old Main' is a National Historic Landmark and the only building remaining from the 1858 Lincoln-Douglas debates.