The Adams Theater kicked off yet another successful year with their performance of The Government Inspector. The Government Inspector is described as “the most Russian of Russian plays,” and the show was not far off with its never-ending Vodka jokes.
The play itself is a fair representation of modern society with author Nikolai Gogol’s plot describing the corruption and greed of the world quite eloquently while still keeping the mood light and comical.
Although well done, The Government Inspector seemed a little inappropriate for children. The references to alcohol and many sexual innuendos made some audience members feel slightly uncomfortable as they watched. Although many parts of Gogol’s original draft were edited to fit high school standards, there were still a few parts that produced some awkward silences from the audience.
The Adams Theater club did a phenomenal job keeping the audience on the edge of their seats wondering what was to come next. Each new scene was another shocking change in events that kept everyone wondering, “Who is the Government Inspector?”
Sophomore Adam Garfinkle, who played the lead role of Ivan Alexandreyevich Hlestakov, did an exceptional job staying in character while adding humor to his actions to make the show come together. The supporting roles were just as amazing. Major stand-outs included sophomore Emma Pilsbury and sophomore Kyle Mason as Dobchinsky and Bobchinsky, the resident idiots; senior Stephen Pfannes as the clueless and easily bribed mayor; junior Lauren Basset, the mother with the mindset of a teenager, junior Dylan Genouw, the sarcastic servant, and junior Ivan Martinez, the greedy judge.
The show’s colorful costumes and set design created a feeling of being in a small town in Russia. However, the inclusion of so many not-so-subtle innuendos created an uncomfortable atmosphere that took away from the play. All in all, for a play that came together in a short amount of time, it was job well done.