Central to Perform Play Scapin

McPherson, Kansas – Under the watchful eye of director Chris Gates (CC ’05), Central will perform the play Scapin this month. Its cast has been hard at work learning lines and rehearsing over the past few months and is excited to showcase what they have put together.

Scapin is a comedy, based on the commedia dell’arte tradition. Octave and Léandre are two young men. Octave has secretly married Hyacinthe and Léandre is in love with Zerbinette. Their respective fathers Argante and Géronte were together on a business trip and now they are back. They have decided that it would strengthen their business if Octave married Géronte’s daughter. Problem? Octave has married Hyacinthe without his father’s consent and Léandre doesn’t know how to break the news about Zerbinette to his old man.

That’s where Scapin comes in. He’s Léandre’s valet and well-known for his audacious schemes. If he sets his mind on helping the two young men, he might just solve all their problems.

Scapin the Schemer is one of Molière’s most famous plays. It’s a comedy of errors where Scapin lies to Argante and Géronte to get some money from them to help their sons’ love lives. He manipulates the two old men for his young masters’ sake but also seeks some revenge for himself. It’s the play with the famous Que diable allait-il faire dans cette galère? (What the devil was he doing in that galley?)

Director Chris Gates had this to say,

I am excited to be finally putting “Scapin” on Central’s Stage. This is a slapstick comedy that I found years ago and have wanted to direct ever since. Now seemed like the time to pull this play off the shelf and have the fun that covid has been preventing.

I have been blessed with an amazing cast that has made the process of directing this play all I wanted it to be, and I look forward to joining them onstage for this humorous rendition of a classic story. I can’t wait for our audience to join us and experience the joy that “Scapin” has already brought to those involved with the production.

The play will show on March 24, 25, and 26 at 7:30 pm in Greer Auditorium. It stars Troy Barnt as Scapin with the rest of the cast consisting of current students James Parry, Keragan Dix, Seongji Lee, and Emily Engebretsen, alumni Micaela Case (CC ’17) and Travis Baker (CC ’19), and the director himself, Chris Gates along with his son, Sean.

ABOUT CENTRAL CHRISTIAN COLLEGE OF KANSAS

Central Christian College of Kansas is a regionally accredited institution offering undergraduate and graduate-level programs. Central strives to offer Christ-centered education for the whole person – heart, mind, soul, and strength. Its history dates back to 1884, and it is located in the friendly town of McPherson, Kansas. Central is a strategically small college that offers over forty areas of residential study and a thriving online program for non-traditional students. To learn more about Central go to centralchristian.edu/about. Visit the Foundation of Central Christian College to see what projects and events are coming up.