A sassy maid, gypsies, a chorus of dancing doctors, and clouds of smoke may sound like a crazy circus of some sort, but it’s just South River Theatre Company’s “sick” production of “The Hypochondriac”!

Moliere’s famous last work follows a hypochondriac, Argan, who wishes to marry his daughter, Angelique, to a doctor so he can have a member of the medical field around to cure his incessant battery of illnesses. However, Angelique is in love with another man, Cleante. The show fully encapsulates commedia in the 17th century, with high energy, stock characters, and musical interludes.

The crazy, almost out of control, energy of the show captivated attention from start to finish. Before the show started, the zannis (a circus-like ensemble) sprung out of every available entrance to do tricks and set the energy level at nothing less than the absolute maximum. Impressively, this high level was maintained throughout the entire production. Another aspect of the show that made it fully accessible to a modern audience was the contemporary jokes, such as cat fights and spit takes, that provoked ripples of laughter from the crowd.

AJ Fraber, as Argan, used his incredible comedic timing to add to his “health issues”, including a “sick dab” while he was writhing on the ground coughing. He also interacted with the audience at appropriate times, notably when he asked an audience member about marrying his daughter and then cut him off almost immediately. Neha Chawla, as the sassy servant Toinette, also effectively interacted with the audience, even sitting on someone’s lap at one point while maintaining her character. Maria Osborn (Angelique) fully encapsulated a young willful daughter with her whining and near temper tantrums combined with passion for her dear Cleante.

Maggie Hayes, as Argan’s money hungry wife, physically communicated her repulsion with her husband to let the audience in on her devious schemes for his money. Jackson Pearl as Thomas Diafoirus, Angelique’s betrothed, incorporated the lozzo of a fly, a classic stock joke, and elicited much laughter as he smashed the elusive fly and licked it off of his palms.

The set of the production was very simple, but fully utilized by the cast. Composed of two upper decks, ensemble members were able to be seen atop them at various times, once when “boo” and “yay” signs were displayed to the audience. An enormous number of props were employed for the show, including a noose, stilts, and an enema, and the crew did well to ensure not a single one was missing at any time.

Overall, South River tackled “The Hyprochondriac” with wit, humor, and a whirlwind of energy that left the audience in stiches.

by Mary Charlotte Gitlin of Dulaney