The Imaginary Invalid – 28 October 2026
Bill Irwin’s adaptation of The Imaginary Invalid lovingly preserves and modernizes Moliere’s original text in ways that are imaginative, funny, and charming. Poking fun at the scientific knowledge of the doctors of his day, Moliere’s The Imaginary Invalid embodies the adage, “you’re only as sick as you feel” in protagonist Argan (Bill Irwin), a man plagued by psychosomatic maladies, most likely because he wants to be loved and cared for. His wife Beline (Crystal A. Dickinson) is clearly with him for his money, and his maid Toilette (Rachel Bloom) finds him tiresome. He does have a doting daughter Angelique (Ava Lalezardeh), who he wants to marry to a man she doesn’t love, Thomas (Hiram Delgado) over a man she does love, Cleante (Daniel Croix Henderson) so that he can get more doctors in the family. In the end he graduates from his illness by being proclaimed a doctor and bestowed an honorary degree. His closing speech is profoundly witty, and the contemporary references pull it together beautiful for a final full-audience laugh.
The opening sequence of masked players pulling red ribbons to make the set for Argan’s house was absolutely stunning, as was every intricate detail of Beowulf Boritt’s set. The audience was hooked before the performers even said a word. This production, like Argan’s ailments, vacillated fluidly between planes of under doing it, doing it, and over doing it that created varying levels of absurdity; this allowed the audience to be surprised by what the characters thought was important, the pursuit of which upheld an admirable level of adventurous curiosity throughout. Standout performances included Rachel Bloom, Hiram Delgado, and of course, Bill Irwin himself. Bloom was in her element, sashaying through thinly veiled sarcasm and moments of genuine emotion with a deft valor that is uniquely her own. Delgado played several roles, and kept each completely distinct. He was a true chameleon, sliding between characters with grace and easy. The audience was in stitches of his portrayal of Thomas, the unlikable suitor. Bill Irwin’s role fit him like a glove— though, of course, penned by him for him. The unshakable confidence with which he navigated Moliere’s societal critiques was nothing short of masterful, both as adaptor and actor.
Social commentary wise, The Imaginary Invalid explores the profitability of healthcare and the odd convenience that physicians are paid for their time, not their results. Science has progressed a long way, making Moliere’s exact critique a little less accessible, but Irwin compensates well with stray references to health insurance companies and other quips about modern day systems. Towards the end, he playfully suggests that the next wave of people leaping to unreliable sources for medical advice is AI, which dabbles at playing doctor with the user’s specific set of preferences for what they want to hear in mind. Much like Argan’s primary care physician, actually. Frighteningly, Argan is deeply enamored with his doctors in a way that many are coming to regard AI as an unquestionable authority on all matters. In reality, AI is unreliable.
The Imaginary Invalid pokes and prods at human fallibility and desire to be cared for over all things. This desire, it argues, is largely malarky, as there is almost always someone out there who does care for you— in Argan’s case, there are many sources of love: his daughter, his brother, and even his maid. The show is fun, quirky, and playful. The romp and pageantry are delightful, and the show keeps audiences smiling and laughing the whole way through.
I attended this performance on a press pass from Polk & Co.
