Convinced that women’s intelligence is the surest path to infidelity, Arnolphe has raised the young Agnès in carefully supervised ignorance. He has isolated her and educated her according to the 1,623 rules of marriage—which he devised himself!—in order to turn her into an obedient future wife, incapable of deceiving him.
The plan seems flawless. Until Horace appears. A bow, a declaration of love, a secretly delivered letter—and Agnès discovers love and, above all, her own will. Arnolphe’s entire plan falls apart, leaving him trapped in his own strategy.
Directed by Cristi Juncu, “The School for Wives” becomes a biting and surprisingly contemporary comedy about possessiveness, the fear of ridicule, and the illusion that one person can be raised to belong to another. A masterpiece of classical comedy, Molière’s play acquires a contemporary rhythm through a fast-paced succession of situations in which farce and social criticism intertwine, creating a theatrical experience to suit every taste.
