UA Little Rock Presents Theatre Production “The Imaginary Invalid”
Produced by the School of Literary and Performing Arts, the theatre arts program at UA Little Rock will perform Molíere’s “The Imaginary Invalid” at the end of October.
The final play by French playwright Molíere is the story of Argan, a wealthy hypochondriac who wants his daughter to marry the son of a doctor in order to gain easier access to prescriptions and cheaper medical bills.
The play was co-adapted by Oded Gross and Tracy Young with music by Paul Pendergast and lyrics by Oded Gross, Tracy Young, and Paul Pendergast.
“Our season opener not only features the talent of some of Little Rock’s most gifted artists, but it’s also the first show we’ve produced since upgrading our lighting system substantially,” School of Literary and Performing Arts Co-Director, Stacy Pendergraft said. “These updates were made possible through the generous support of UA Little Rock alumna, Cindy Conger.”
Guest director, Ben Grimes will direct the performances, and local artist Tim Cooper will direct the music. Brandon Eells, nationally known voice actor and Little Rock artist, will play Argan. Designers include Don Bolinger, Gideon Brewer, Karen Dauenhauer, and Mike Stacks.
“Directing ‘Imaginary Invalid’ has been such a joy for me,” Grimes said. “While the original play is over three hundred years old, it feels very current in this post-pandemic era. The play is hilariously funny, and the ending will sneak up and punch you right in the feels.”
Shows will start at 7:30 p.m. beginning Wednesday, Oct. 23 and continue through to Saturday, Oct. 26. There will be a 2:30 p.m. show on Sunday, Oct. 27. All showings will be in Haislip Theatre in the Center for Performing Arts on the UA Little Rock campus.
While the performances are free and open to the public, reservations are required online.
The production of “The Imaginary Invalid” kicks off the 2024-2025 season for the theatre arts program within the School of Literary and Performing Arts. Productions of “The Theory of Relativity” are scheduled for March 2025, and student devised work will be presented in April 2025.
For additional information, contact the school’s coordinating assistant Caelon Colbert at cdcolbert@ualr.edu or 501-916-3291.
