Do you think politicians are shifty, sleazy, dirty, hypocritical, and corrupt? Nikola Gogol’s play, The Government Inspector proves that all those things are true—and more!
In a small Russian town, a postmaster reads someone’s mail (of course!) and the word gets out: a government inspector is coming to the town to investigate. And so, how do the corrupt officials respond? With even more corruption and bribery! When a newcomer appears (in truth, an inept con man who is incapable of holding onto any money), the local officials assume he must be the inspector, and they do whatever they can to influence him, with food, drink, the mayor’s daughter, and lots and lots of money.
Do the foolish officials get their comeuppance? No spoilers here, but we think you will be pleased with the conclusion of this wild and madcap Russian farce.
“We’re setting this production of the play that was originally written in 1835, in the year 1985,” says Dr. Stephen A. Schrum, Associate Professor of Theatre at Pitt-Greensburg and the director of the show. “Mr. Gorbachev has not yet torn down that wall. And the world of MTV music videos and the opulence of Wall Street lend their designs and costumes for a truly recent-historical look. And to further mirror current events, the playwright is actually Ukrainian, not Russian. It sounds like a conspiracy!”
Senior History major Logan Tomko plays Ivan Hlestakov, the bumbling clerk who finds himself the center of attention. This is Logan’s eighth show on campus. His love interest, Marya the Mayor’s daughter, is played by Emily Buckel, senior Creative and Professional Writing major. This is also Emily’s eighth show. Both are graduating this spring. Joining them is Finn David Caskey, a freshman Communications major, returning to the stage after making his Pitt-Greensburg Theatre Company debut last semester.
Why see this play? Not only is there incredibly funny dialogue that perfectly captures the self-serving politicians (“They’re stupid, but not as stupid as they look” and “It’s like talking to meat!”), but the physical action is virtually non-stop. If you ask, “Will the politicians fall like dominoes?” the answer is yes, and literally. You just don’t know when.
The Pitt-Greensburg Theatre Company’s production of The Government Inspector runs Thursday, March 26 to Saturday, March 28 at 7:30pm and Sunday, March 29 at 2:00pm in the University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg’s Ferguson Theater. Tickets (available at the door only) are $10 regular, and $5 students/seniors/PittID.
Contact Dr. Schrum for more information at 724-846-7483 or sas114@pitt.edu.
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