The Alchemist, written by Jacobean playwright Ben Jonson and
directed by Adam Konowe, is a satirical comedy about human gullibility.
In none of Jonson's plays is Renaissance humanism twisted into comic
reality more obviously and successfully than in The Alchemist.
His characters parody the ways Renaissance people sought power, knowledge
and pleasure - and they represent a remarkable cross-section of London
life, from servant to knight.
When the plague drives well-healed Lovewit from London, his butler Face
sets up shop in the house with fellow conspirators Subtle and Dol Common
to prey on the vain and greedy ambitions of those around them. Using the
mysterious world of alchemy to promise all things to all people (for a
price), the "venture tripartite" seems all but unstoppable.
Director: Adam Konowe
This play is in the public domain.
ESP Productions are partially supported by a grant from the Virginia
Commission for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts.
