By Molière, Directed by Valérie Lesort and Christian Hecq
Friday, March 6, 2026
Run Time: 2 hours 20 minutes
No intermission
In French with English subtitles
“A wild and crazy Bourgeois gentilhomme” – Le Monde
“Magical, hilarious, and out of the ordinary” – Les Echos
Long nicknamed “La Maison de Molière,” the Comédie-Française offers a bold new production of one of its patron playwright’s seminal comédie-ballets. Rarely performed in the US, this rollicking satire follows an upstart bourgeois merchant in his elaborate attempts to ascend to the aristocracy.
Acclaimed directing partners Valérie Lesort and Christian Hecq reimagine this 17th-century classic as a deliciously relevant class farce complete with fantastical costumes and Balkan-inspired music.
Founded in 1680, the Comédie-Française is the oldest active theater company in the world, and an enduring symbol of France’s theatrical heritage. Preserving a centuries-long repertory tradition while embracing contemporary approaches to performance, the Comédie-Française reimagines canonical works with a cutting-edge theatrical sensibility.
Please note that an 18-minute pre-recorded interview precedes the start of the play.
This program is presented as originally created. It contains cultural stereotypes and representations that reflect the period in which it was produced. These depictions do not reflect L’Alliance New York’s values today. We present this work in its original form to acknowledge its place in history and to encourage thoughtful discussion.
Comic ballet by Molière
Directed by Valérie Lesort and Christian Hecq
Sets: Éric Ruf
Costumes: Vanessa Sannino
Lights: Pascal Laajili
Original music and arrangements: Mich Ochowiak and Ivica Bogdanić
Choreography: Rémi Boissy
Puppets: Carole Allemand and Valérie Lesort
Assistant director: Florimond Plantier
Sets assistant: Julie Camus
Costumes assistant: Claire Fayel (from the Comédie-Française academy)
With:
Véronique Vella: Nicole, student of the master of music and puppetry
Sylvia Bergé: Madame Jourdain, singer
Françoise Gillard: Dorimène, dancer
Laurent Stocker: Covielle, Mufti
Guillaume Gallienne: Master of philosophy
Christian Hecq: Monsieur Jourdain
Nicolas Lormeau: Master of music and puppetry
Clément Hervieu-Léger: Dorante
Gaël Kamilindi: Master of dance and Master tailor
Yoann Gasiorowski: Cléonte, percussionist, puppetry
Jean Chevalier: Master of weaponry, puppetry
Géraldine Martineau: Lucile, dancer
And the actors from the Comédie-Française academy:
Antoine de Foucauld: Lackey, tailor’s assistant, puppetry
Nicolas Verdier: Lackey, tailor’s assistant, puppetry
And:
Ivica Bogdanić: Musician (accordion, percussion)
Remi Boissy: Dancer, tailor’s assistant, puppetry
Julien Oury: Musician (trombone, tuba)
Alon Peylet: Musician (trombone, trumpet, tuba)
Victor Rahola: Musician (helicon)
Martin Saccardy: Musician (trumpet)
© Comédie-Française – France 2022
Worldwide distribution: Pathé Live
In association with: Bel Air Média
Directed by Dominique Thiel
L’Alliance New York’s programs are made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the Support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.
Le Bourgeois gentilhomme © C. Raynaud de Lage
Monday, September 15, 2025 - Friday, June 26, 2026
L’Alliance New York and Studio in a School invite students to discover the work of French-speaking artists and create their own pieces that will be displayed in a new exhibition in L’Alliance New York’s Skyroom.
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North American Premiere
As a lighter version of the monumental installation Les plantamouves originally created for the Centre Pompidou in Paris, this exhibition-workshop combines the tactile whimsy of mobile sculpture with interactive dance, inviting audiences of all ages to engage with more than 240 vibrantly colorful foam pieces through inventive video tutorials.
Thursday, September 4, 2025 - Friday, June 26, 2026
Free event for all schools
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