PERFORMING ARTS 32
The Government Inspector US Play
In 1836 Nikolai Gagol published the play, “The Government Inspector,” as a farcical satire of life in the Russian Empire. You may find that, 183 years later, it has lost none of its bite nor any of its relevance. In our current climate, there are few things the corrupt and powerful fear as much as being laughed at can attest. Those that practice hypocrisy, corruption, arrogance, narcissism, cronyism, threats, bribery, bullying and governance through fear, lose their power when their shallowness is revealed through an actor’s depiction and an audience’s laughter. And frankly, we could all use more laughter in our lives. It is the cheapest, most immediate and often the best medicine for what ails us on a daily basis. John Sugden, Director (Excerpts from the play program)
