On Friday, March 3, the University of Idaho’s Theater department will be putting on the hilarious production “The Imaginary Invalid” which will run until March 12 at the Hartung Theater. You can find more information and buy tickets online at uitickets.com. The show will be free for students.
The show is a rewrite of the original 1673 play written by French playwright Moliere but has been modernized and now takes place in the 1960s. The show is about a man who is suffering from a mysterious illness while fraud doctors and his second wife are trying to steal his money.
“It’s really funny, but really moving by the end, it’s really about how we all connect to one another.” Director David Lee-Painter said.
Originally, the Theater department was going to put on a different show: The Play the Goes Wrong, but after the tragic events of November 2022, the dean of students recommended that the Theater department choose a different show because certain elements of the previous show would be distasteful after recent events.
The Theater department had already cast everyone in their roles, but gladly agreed to change the show. After brainstorming, the department decided to go with The Imaginary Invalid, and kept everyone from the original casting of The Play that Goes Wrong into this new show. This show had the same number of actors, and gendered roles, but the largest, unexpected change was that The Imaginary Invalid is a musical.
Cast member Carie Wilsie explained the challenges and benefits of this unexpected change.
“Many people in this cast signed up for a non-musical and got put into a musical, but it’s been very lovely getting to know everyone and watching people flourish in ways they didn’t even know they could,” Wilsie said.
Lee-Painter also weighed in on the choice of the new play and how the theater department hopes it will make a difference for viewers.
“Everyone pitched in to help pick the play, but nobody knew what their roles were until it began. Everyone has been committed to the idea of doing something for our community, the theater community, the UI community and the Moscow community,” Lee-Painter said.
Despite the early production challenges, the production for The Imaginary Invalid has been very smooth and cast members are excited for performances to start.
“I think this one of the smoothest production processes that I’ve ever had. We have three directors, so we can work on things simultaneously,” Wilsie said.
Tucker Holland, another cast member, explained that the process of preparing for the show has been enjoyable and a great learning experience.
“My favorite part has been the lead up, once you piece together your scene and you finally make it work, it just feels amazing,” Holland said.
Lee-Painter expressed pride in how the show turned out and excitement for the community to see all their hard work.
“We are always trying to make a memory for ourselves, something to be proud of for the rest of our lives, as well as creating a memory for the audience. I feel very comfortable that we have done that,” Lee-Painter said.
Ben Dewitt can be reached at [email protected]