Molìere’s ‘Don Juan’ staged at School of Drama

Molìere’s darkly comic 17th-century play “Don Juan” will be the next offering of the School of Drama, Jan. 27-31.

Driven by insatiable desire, Don Juan — with his servant Sganarelle — travels the world, seeking pleasure through romantic conquest. Don Juan defies every authority he encounters. No moral code, religious belief, or social institution is safe from his scathing attack. The play explores what lies underneath the furious bravado of Don Juan, as well as a timeless terror: that there is no God, and no ultimate meaning beyond the appetites of the flesh.

The play, translated by Brendan Pelsue, will be directed by third-year School of Drama student Andrej Visky. He has directed Shakespeare’s “As You Like It” and Emily Zemba’s “I’m Sorry I Brought Up God” at the School of Drama, as well as Raymond Carver’s “Beginners” at the Yale Cabaret. He is a founding member of Waiting Room Project, a theater company devoted to experimental work. He served in 2011 as an assistant director at the Hungarian Theatre of Cluj, where he worked with directors from Romania and the United States. He is also a Ph.D. candidate at Babes-Bolyai University.

The cast for “Don Juan” includes Jenelle Chu, James Cusati-Moyer, Annie Hägg, Julian Elijah Martinez, Aubie Merrylees, Aaron Luis Profumo, Bradley James Tejeda, and Ariana Venturi. The production features scenic design by Alexander Woodward, costume design by Sydney Gallas, lighting design by Andrew F. Griffin, sound design by Jing (Annie) Yin, projection design by Yana Birÿkova, dramaturgy by Samantha Lazar, and stage management by Avery Trunko.

The play will be performed at the University Theatre, 222 York St., Tuesday-Saturday. Performances are at 8 p.m. each night, with a 2 p.m. matinee on Saturday, Jan. 31.  Tickets are $15-$20 and are available online, by phone at 203-432-1234, and in person at the box office, 1120 Chapel St.