A work that is both classic and modern in theme, The Government Inspector is a 19th-century Russian farce written by Nikolai Gogol. With a script adapted by Jeffrey Hatcher, Anam Cara Theatre Company will produce the show Friday and Saturday, March 4–5, 11–12, and Thursday and Friday, March 17–18 at Toy Boat Community Art Space.
The mayor of a small town in Russia hears a rumor that a government inspector is coming into town on orders form the tsar and that he will be staying at the inn. While it is never stated outright exactly what the inspector is there to review, all the townspeople try to make everything look its very best. When the mayor mistakes a low-level government fool named Hlestakov for the inspector, the plot revolves around how far Hlestakov can go in taking advantage of the town before the truth is discovered.
“Russian farces, at least in my mind, have a lot to do with class struggle and power,” says Peter Lundblad, codirector with Rachel McCrain. The original play, he adds, takes place in Imperial Russia, which is riddled with corruption, bribery, and violence. “The poor are as absurd as the wealthy, and everyone is climbing over each other to get to the top.”
Erinn Hartley, executive artistic director and founder of Anam Cara Theatre Company, says, “We initially chose The Government Inspector because we felt like it fits both our mission and our aesthetic. The play has a social critique at its core and is presented in a wonderfully absurdist way.”
“In addition, this play happens to be very timely, given that 2016 is an election year. This classic farce paints a comedic critique of a flawed and corrupt political system, and we hope audience members note parallels to our own political system while finding a way to laugh at the absurdity.
“We could not have foreseen at the time of choosing this play for production, its absolute relevancy in how circus-like this particular election would be, but we hope that audiences will even more so appreciate the themes presented in the production.”
Doors open at 7:30 p.m. and show begins at 8 p.m. Toy Boat Community Art Space is at 101 Fairview Road in Asheville. Tickets are $15 in advance, $18 at the door. For more information, visit anamcaratheatre.org or call 828.633.1773.
