Everyone is familiar with William Shakespeare, the greatest playwright of the English language. His plays have helped define literature and culture since his own time.

Not so many people are familiar with the works of Jean Baptiste de Poquelin, famously known as Molière. The great French playwright wrote comedies and farces in the 17th century that continue to influence drama today. Molière's insightful portrayals of human vanity, hypocrisy and greed made him a controversial but timeless playwright.

Molière's portrayal of a scheming religious hypocrite in "Tartuffe" was particularly unpopular with the Catholic Church, and was banned twice after its publication. Tartuffe, the hypocrite, ingratiates himself with a wealthy gentleman named Orgon, who tries to convince his daughter Mariane to marry Tartuffe even as the hypocrite tries to seduce Orgon's wife Elmire. When Orgon refuses to believe the allegations that Tartuffe is a schemer and a liar, Elmire must devise a plot to reveal Tartuffe's true character.

Professor Paul McDowell, whose French Theatre class is presenting the play this weekend, feels the play was banned because it was particularly insightful. "There was so much outrage because he hit the nail on the head," said McDowell. "It's a perfect depiction."

In McDowell's presentation of "Tartuffe", the actors and director attempt to present Molière's classic play as it might be seen in France — down to performing it in the original French.

McDowell's class has presented a play in French every fall for the past 10 years. Many advanced French students audition for spots.

"These plays are not usually done as classes with undergraduate students anywhere else," said McDowell. "It's a unique thing."

While most of the students have studied in France, few have much experience with drama. The class is an exciting experience for many of the actors.

"At first it was scary," said Mary Anne Lewis. "Now it's awesome."

"It's really cool to read it, and then watch the characters pop out of the page," said Maribel Morey.

Although few students speak enough French to follow the dialogue of a play in French, McDowell's show have sold out for the past nine years. McDowell prepares a detailed summary to help audience members follow the action. The actors also make the play more comprehensible by using physical humor and exaggerated characters.

"Two things never fail to amaze me," said McDowell. "First, the number of students who participate in the class, and second, how many spectators show up.

"An entire play in French is a daunting prospect," he added.

Much of the literary subtlety of Molière's work is lost on those who do not speak French, but the play is still enjoyable. Tartuffe's scheme to get into the good graces of Orgon while seducing his wife remains insightful and entertaining even without the finer turns of phrase.

Some of the actors struggle with portraying their characters clearly and still including realism and subtlety in the performance. However, considering the difficulty of the task, many of the performers do an admirable job in their roles. Dorine, played by Mary Anne Lewis, Tartuffe, played by Karl Reifsteck, and Madame Pernelle, played by Rose Lindgren, are particularly convincing characters.

The play is being performed in the lab theater on the third floor of Washington Hall. The theater holds a relatively small audience of 110. The small venue gives the play a more personal feel than those performed in larger theaters.

The location also creates problems with staging, as audience members sit on three sides of the stage. At some point, every audience member with be presented with the backsides of the performers. To compensate for the difficulty of presenting to different angles, the performers keep the action moving, making sure to present to all sides of the stage. No one is left out of the performance.

Instead of reinterpreting the play, McDowell opted for a traditional 17th century setting, including impressive costumes.

"We really try to give an interpretation that Molière himself might recognize," said McDowell. "We use period costumes and the same language as Molière."

The actors use little in the way of props and backdrops, but the play does not require detailed stage sets.

In attempting to enjoy the literature of another language and culture, audiences will always be stuck between a rock and a hard place — translating a work drains the beauty of the language and changes its meaning, but the original is usually inaccessible to those unable to understand the language. McDowell's presentation of "Tartuffe" creates a compromise. The language is the same, but the play can still be understood. Following the plot of the play is an enjoyable challenge, and not by any means impossible. This is a rare chance to experience one of the great plays of French culture presented both by and for students.

Contact Maria Smith at msmith4@nd.edu

• Tartuffe