Menlo School Drama will perform a modern twist on the classic 1660s French comedy "Tartuffe" this weekend.

The Atherton school's winter play is a "cautionary tale of religious hypocrisy, bourgeois guilt and the danger of fervent beliefs unchecked by facts and reason," according to a press release from the school.

The play, written by French playwright Moliére, follows the character Orgon and his family. Their lives are turned upside down when the con man Tartuffe ingratiates himself with Orgon under the guise of religious piety. Tartuffe's real intention? To take Orgon's fortune.

When Orgon ends his daughter's engagement and pairs her with Tartuffe, the rest of the household is determined to expose Tartuffe.

"The dialogue – though old-fashioned – resonates with modern-day chatter, and the characters – though exaggerated – accurately represent archetypes in our society," said senior Isabell Madruga, who plays Madame Parnelle. "We all have a Tartuffe somewhere in our lives."

Senior Nils Forstall, who plays the title role, noted that "developing and distinguishing the layers of deceit has been the hardest challenge I have ever faced as an actor. I have loved exploring the tension within Tartuffe – his feigned obsession with God to mask his unshakable obsession with earthly pleasures – and how that manifests in wonderfully uncomfortable comedy."

This is Director of Creative Arts and Upper School Drama Steven Minning's 19th show at Menlo School. He said that "in today's search for what is truth and what is falsehood, the 'Tartuffe' scenario is as relevant in 2020 as it was in 1660. Tartuffe is really the quintessential embodiment of opportunism gone bad."

"He never really lies, he admits his crimes, and he waits for us to punish him, knowing that we will be taken in by his honesty and accept his confessions as proof of innocence," Minning added.

"Tartuffe" will be Menlo Drama's final performance in the school's Florence Moore Auditorium. A state-of-the-art theater – the Spieker Center for the Performing Arts – is under construction and is scheduled to open at the start of the 2020-21 school year.

"Tartuffe" is "Menlo School's valentine and a fond farewell to the Florence Moore Auditorium that has nurtured hundreds of students on its stage over the years," Minning said. "There will be energy with this performance unlike any other before it."

All proceeds from the production will go to the Time's Up Legal Defense Fund, a nonprofit organization that helps women in low-wage jobs pursue claims of sexual harassment by covering associated legal costs. Menlo Drama Gives Back has raised about $50,000 for nonprofits over the past six seasons, according to the group.

Performances are Saturday, Feb. 8, at 7:30 p.m.; Sunday, Feb. 9, at 5 p.m.; and Monday, Feb. 10, at 5 p.m. The school is at 50 Valparaiso Ave.

Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for students, and are available here and at the box office one hour before each performance.

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