Govt_press_photo_by_Johanna_Austin_86

The Government Inspector

by Nikolai Gogol

The Walnut Street Theatre Studio 5
February 2 – 28, 2016
Directed by Tina Brock

Running time is approximately 115 minutes, with no intermission.

Gogosafe
Anton Antonovich Skvoznik-Dmukhanovsky, Mayor
Jack Tamburri
Ammos Fyodorovich Lyapkin-Tyapkin, Judge
Paul McElwee
Artemy Filippovich Zemlyanika, Warden of Charities
Jennifer MacMillan
Luka Lukich Khlopov, Inspector of Schools
Francesca Piccioni
Dr. Christian Ivanovich Huebner, District Physician
Christina May
Ivan Kuzmich Shpyokin, Postmaster
Bob Schmidt
Pyotr Ivanovich Bobchinsky, Local Land Owner
Tomas Dura
Pyotr Ivanovich Dobchinsky, Local Land Owner
Bob Schmidt
Anna Andreevna, Mayor’s Wife
Jennifer MacMillan
Maria Antonovna, Mayor’s Daughter
Francesca Piccioni
Osip
Paul McElwee
Ivan Alexandrovich Khlestakov
Andrew Carroll
Waiter
Paul McElwee
Constable Svistunov
Francesca Piccioni
Stepan Ilyich Ukhovyortov, Chief of Police
Christina May
Constable Derzhimorda
Tomas Dura
Abdulin, Shopkeeper
Bob Schmidt
Chernyaev, Shopkeeper
Christina May
Fevronya Petrovna Poshlyopkin, Locksmith's Wife
Jennifer MacMillan
Sergeant's Widow
Tomas Dura
The Gendarme
Brett Mapp/Tina Brock

Set Design

Lisi Stoessel

Lighting Design

Maria Shaplin

Costume Design

Janus Stefanowicz

Assistant Costume Designer

Courtney Boches

Sound Design

Tina Brock

Technical Director

Scott Cassidy

Ways and Means Coordinator

Bob Schmidt

Stage Manager/Board Operator/Assistant Director/Fight Captain

Gil Johnson

Prop Design and Construction

Mark Williams & Tina Brock

Scenic Painting

Brooke Murray, Radha Vakharia & Lisi Stoessel

Set Construction

Scott Cassidy & Rob Edmondson

Russian Language Tsar

Gil Johnson

Soundtrack from The Grand Budapest Hotel by Alexandre
Desplat. Written and directed by Wes Anderson February 2016

Reviews

The Government Inspector (2016)

“...If you think, because of its historical context, that The Government Inspector’s theme of rampant graft and corruption is no longer relevant today, you haven’t been paying attention to local city politics or the current presidential campaign…the energetic ensemble keep the ridiculousness building and the laughs coming with their rapid-fire delivery, quick changes, over-the-top emotions…”
--by Debra Miller, DCMetro Theater Arts
The Government Inspector (2016)

Who's Corrupt?
“... animated, quick-step, rollicking production. The Idiopathic Ridiculopathy Consortium Players tie it all tightly together in the shoebox sized Walnut Street Studio 5 Theater...my only real complaint is that in Gogol’s time, as in ours, the official, conniving bastards never get what’s coming to them…”
--by AJ Sabatini, Broad Street Review
The Government Inspector (2016)

THE GOVERNMENT INSPECTOR (IRC): Corruption!
“...Brock chooses instead to let each line exist in the present, with its character believing that what they say is the closes possible thing to truth. If they are lying, they themselves barely have the faculties to realize it. The result is a production that forefronts Gogol’s surprising, desperate, hypnotizing dialogue…”
--by Julius Ferraro, Phindie
The Government Inspector (2016)

Satire Without a Clear Target
“...undeniably bright, colorful, and fun…”
--by Mark Cofta, The Broad Street Review
The Government Inspector (2016)

Director’s Notes

Welcome! The production concept for The Government Inspector came from a longstanding fascination with the films of Wes Anderson, specifically The Grand Budapest Hotel. His confections and those of Tim Burton are a source of artistic inspiration for me, as both most closely capture the highly idiosyncratic characters and world typical in many absurd plays. This production is indebted and in awe of their brilliance and the inspiration their art provides. The visual appeal of Anderson’s creations speaks to the rigidity, order and discipline necessary to create the backdrop for a world gone awry. Another hallmark of both filmmaker’s creations are their fun and fabulous film scores, many composed by awarding-winning French composer and orchestrator Alexandre Desplat. This production is scored with soundtrack from Budapest Hotel created by Desplat and music supervisor Randall Poster, who chose a balalaika, a three-stringed Russian instrument to establish the musical voice of the film.

“I think it speaks to evolving culture, it speaks to folklore, it speaks to this sort of mythical foreign identity that we were trying to channel,” said Poster, who co-produced the soundtrack album. “And there’s just sort of the magic of it. It’s a great sound and underused and works really nicely as a counterpart to some of the more sophisticated classical pieces.” Alexandre Desplat on creating film compositions: “I enjoy going from genre to genre, just as I like watching different genres of movies. I try to jump from a drama to a thriller to a biopic or a love story; it allows me to take chances in different territories.”

For The Government Inspector, we are fortunate to benefit from the artistry of set designer Lisi Stoessel, lighting designer Maria Shaplin and costume designer Janus Stefanowicz. Together they bring the specificity, nuance and understanding of all of the play’s themes in a grand and subtle way. As the IRC celebrates year #10 we are committed to taking big ideas to the stage in a way that hopefully allows us to laugh at often absurd world we inhabit and create, and to reflect on our place in the world, how we navigate, and the footprint we leave. The question we asked for The Government Inspector was, “what are the assumptions we make, the web we weave?”

Welcome to the Grand Budapest Hotel.
We hope you enjoy your stay