Last weekend brought a show-stopping pair of theater thesis performances to the stage of the Patricelli ’92 Theater. On the evenings of Feb. 27 and 28 and March 1, CJ Joseph ’25 performed “Dance Monkey, Dance!!” at 6:30 p.m., followed by “The Government Inspector”—directed by Tabitha Davidson ’25—at 8 p.m. In this issue of The Argus, I’ll be covering “The Government Inspector,” but keep an eye out for our coverage of “Dance Monkey, Dance!!” when we return from Spring Break.

“The Government Inspector” brought its audience to a little town in the countryside of Russia, where the governor (Ezekiel Allman ’27) and a small yet chaotic band of town officials are panicking at the news that a government inspector has been sent to investigate their affairs incognito. Concerned that their consistent incompetence, acceptance of bribes, and general mismanagement of town affairs will be made known to officials in Moscow, the townspeople conspire to cheat, lie, and bribe their way into the inspector’s good graces, having heard a rumor that the inspector is a mysterious visitor that’s been staying in the local inn for two weeks.

In a biting satire that examines the selfish motives and nefarious conduct that lead to bad government, the antics that ensue over the show’s two-hour runtime left me (and the rest of the audience) in stitches. In an email to The Argus, Davidson explained how the intricacies of political satire led her to select “The Government Inspector” as her thesis show.

“I am writing about political satire so I knew I would direct a political satire, and was particularly interested in an older play as I knew it would be interesting to explore the modern connections we could make within an old play,” Davidson wrote. “My thesis argues that satire, by criticizing and making fun of high status individuals and groups to a collective audience, makes room for freedom of thought within that audience.”

The governor tries to impress the presumed government inspector by clearing his unpaid hotel tab and inviting him and his valet Osip (Clara Goldman ’28) to stay in the governor’s mansion. However, the “inspector” is revealed to the audience as the stylish and imaginative, but not particularly powerful, Ivan Khlestakov (Jack Han ’25). Allman’s portrayal of the power-hungry governor struck a delightful balance between maintaining the character’s kind and generous facade and revealing his thinly veiled greedy and selfish motivations. Han and Goldman were a power duo, with Han’s enthusiastic and inventive Khlestakov basking in the townspeople’s extreme deference to his every whim while Goldman’s wise Osip quietly gets what he can out of his master’s delusional ramblings.

The governor hosts a dinner for his honored guest and Khlestakov takes the opportunity to get absolutely hammered and spin wild tales of fabricated adventures all over Russia as the town officials wait on him hand and foot. The next day, Khlestakov’s presence fuels the already competitive relationship between the governor’s boisterous and confident wife, Anna (Maya Gray ’25), and his unassuming and hopelessly romantic daughter, Marya (Mae Wrigley ’26), who were also portrayed as perfectly hilarious foils by their respective actors. Khelestakov shamelessly flirts with both women, hoping to bed whomever he can seduce first, sending both his potential paramours into a tailspin when they discover his philandering. 

Throughout the rest of the day, Khlestakov is visited by the judge (Emma Somol ’27), charity commissioner (Cheyenne McLaskey ’26), postmaster (Wrigley), school superintendent (Goldman), and the dynamic duo of Dobchinsky (Marcos Arjona ’26) and Bobchinsky (Simon Holland ’28)—whose jobs were unclear to me, only adding to the amusement of their energetic performance—as well as a host of other characters in a montage that accomplished some of the best and funniest quick changes I’ve ever seen. Khlestakov extorts each of them throughout their interaction, collecting well over a thousand rubles in bribes, or “loans,” as he calls them to avoid the appearance of impropriety.

The show’s ensemble cast delivered a slew of wonderful performances, bolstered by the cast’s amazing stage chemistry. Davidson credited her cast, crew, and creative team with executing her vision for the show.

“Theater is a team sport and absolutely nothing could have happened without the wonderful talented people that agreed to embark on this project with me,” Davidson wrote.

Finally, after proposing to Marya, Khlestakov flees town with Osip and his new stolen funds in a carriage led by a very animated horse (Campbell Greenberg ’27), and the town officials finally realize that Khlestakov wasn’t who he claimed to be and certainly won’t be making good on his loans. As the townspeople reel from the news of the deception, a message is delivered from the real government inspector, demanding to see the mayor immediately.

“The Government Inspector,” written by Nikolai Gogol and originally performed in 1836, was a wild and entertaining ride, evoking some of today’s most infamous political figures through its themes of corruption, deception, and reckless ambition. Even with material nearly 200 years in age, this production felt as though it could have been written yesterday.

“The premise of the play and the plot beat-for-beat is the same as when Gogol first wrote it in 1830,” Davidson wrote. “Corruption is immortal.”

Sulan Bailey can be reached at sabailey@wesleyan.edu.