The Government inSpector
by Nikolai Gogol
Adapted by Kip Niven
Permission granted by Maggie Niven
Adapted by Kip Niven
Permission granted by Maggie Niven
OBJECTIVE: To produce high quality performances of this adaptation of Nikolai Gogol's hysterical comedy.
MISSION: To strive for excellence in the intensity of our effort, the depth of friendships created, and in the excellence of our attitudes.
We will follow the Educational Theatre Association Core Values:
This show will be produced and directed by Mr. David Tate Hastings, Olathe South theatre educator. Mr. Hastings plans to select 20 students for the cast and 10 students for the crew.
A read through of this production will be held on Tuesday, December 2nd in the Black Box Theatre from 3-5:30pm. Students have been invited to read the roles in this show, but no one who is reading is guaranteed a role in the show. All roles are open to anyone who auditions on January 14th.
These are the dates for rehearsals and performances (Dr. Filla will determine the orchestra rehearsal schedule:)
MISSION: To strive for excellence in the intensity of our effort, the depth of friendships created, and in the excellence of our attitudes.
We will follow the Educational Theatre Association Core Values:
- People Matter
- Every individual has the opportunity to make a difference.
- Take care of yourself and your colleagues.
- Cultivate each person’s skills, strengths, and talents.
- Be respectful, considerate, and honest with each other.
- Strive for Excellence
- Define success.
- Be open to and embrace positive change.
- Look outside the walls of EdTA. Learn and document new ways to do things better.
- Take risks – turn both successes and failures into lessons learned.
- Work Together
- The best ideas, performance, and results come through collaboration.
- Focus on the objective and challenge ideas, not people.
- Be kind, assertive, and supportive, even when there is disagreement.
- Support the final decision.
- Be the Person You Want to Work with
- Celebrate individuality and honor diversity.
- Engage fully.
- Bring joy and optimism to your work.
This show will be produced and directed by Mr. David Tate Hastings, Olathe South theatre educator. Mr. Hastings plans to select 20 students for the cast and 10 students for the crew.
A read through of this production will be held on Tuesday, December 2nd in the Black Box Theatre from 3-5:30pm. Students have been invited to read the roles in this show, but no one who is reading is guaranteed a role in the show. All roles are open to anyone who auditions on January 14th.
These are the dates for rehearsals and performances (Dr. Filla will determine the orchestra rehearsal schedule:)
- Rehearsals: January 21st-23rd from 3:00-5:00
- Rehearsals: January 26th-30th from 3:00-5:00
- Rehearsals: February 2nd-5th from 3:00-5:00
- Rehearsals: February 9th-10th from 3:00-5:00
- Rehearsals: February 17th-20th from 3:00-5:00
- Rehearsals: February 23rd-27th from 3:00-5:00
- Tech Rehearsal: February 28th from 3:00-5:00
- Half show dress rehearsals: March 2nd-3rd from 3:00-6:00
- Full show dress rehearsal: March 4th from 3:00-7:00
- Performances: March 5th-6th from 6:00-10:00
Student/Family Participation (Ticket Sales).
There are two keys to our success in producing this show.
Both of these goals are connected.
IF WE COULD FILL OUR THEATRE, WE WOULDN'T HAVE TO ASK FOR YOUR HELP.
Olathe South Theatre has won so many awards that point to our program being one of the best in the county. Students, families, and the community should attend our shows to celebrate our award winning students and their entertaining theatrical work. Some of the past awards our students have earned include:
To meet the two goals above (getting an audience and securing funding), we have decided to try to something different. Every student involved with this production will be required to purchase 10 tickets for each performance (20 total) at $15 per ticket. This is a total of $300 per student. This provides each student with the opportunity to sell all of their tickets and participate for free. All seats are general admission. The $300 is due at the first rehearsal after a student is offered a role in the show. Any student who does not pay for their tickets by that time will be replaced in the cast/crew. Tickets at the door will cost $20. There will be no online ticket sales for this show. Presale tickets at the discounted rate are only available through the cast and crew. There are no refunds for ticket sales.
In the past, we have asked for $100 participation fee per student. We have also sold tickets to the shows. The combination of these two funding sources should have added up to the same amount as asking every student to sell 10 tickets per night. However, not all students have donated, and we have seen our crowd sizes getting smaller. By trying to get an audience and fund our shows in this new way, we are asking students and families to help us meet our goals.
As part of this new process, we will provide a show shirt for every student in the cast/crew of this production.
There are two keys to our success in producing this show.
- Getting an audience to celebrate our amazing work.
- Securing the funding to make this show possible.
Both of these goals are connected.
IF WE COULD FILL OUR THEATRE, WE WOULDN'T HAVE TO ASK FOR YOUR HELP.
Olathe South Theatre has won so many awards that point to our program being one of the best in the county. Students, families, and the community should attend our shows to celebrate our award winning students and their entertaining theatrical work. Some of the past awards our students have earned include:
- Best High School Program in the Midwest - Stage Directions Magazine
- Outstanding School Award (twice) - Educational Theatre Association
- Outstanding Overall Musical - Starlight Blue Star Awards
- 5 Main Stage Performances at Nationals (not including Frozen, Olathe all district musical, and Bring It On, Kansas Thespians all state musical, which were both produced at Olathe South)
- 3 Main Stage Performances at State
To meet the two goals above (getting an audience and securing funding), we have decided to try to something different. Every student involved with this production will be required to purchase 10 tickets for each performance (20 total) at $15 per ticket. This is a total of $300 per student. This provides each student with the opportunity to sell all of their tickets and participate for free. All seats are general admission. The $300 is due at the first rehearsal after a student is offered a role in the show. Any student who does not pay for their tickets by that time will be replaced in the cast/crew. Tickets at the door will cost $20. There will be no online ticket sales for this show. Presale tickets at the discounted rate are only available through the cast and crew. There are no refunds for ticket sales.
In the past, we have asked for $100 participation fee per student. We have also sold tickets to the shows. The combination of these two funding sources should have added up to the same amount as asking every student to sell 10 tickets per night. However, not all students have donated, and we have seen our crowd sizes getting smaller. By trying to get an audience and fund our shows in this new way, we are asking students and families to help us meet our goals.
As part of this new process, we will provide a show shirt for every student in the cast/crew of this production.
Make up kits are required for all cast members. You may purchase them from A to Z Theatrical or Kansas City Costume. Students may not share make up for health reasons. If you have one from a previous show, you may use it. Students will receive instructions on how to apply stage makeup during rehearsal.
Students are REQUIRED to provide their own APPROPRIATE SHOES AS SPECIFIED BY THE CHOREOGRAPHER or COSTUMER. This is typically for character, jazz, ballet, or tap shoes, depending on the needs of the show.
Students on the crew are REQUIRED to wear all black clothes for the dress rehearsals and performances.
Students are welcome to email Mr. Hastings directly with questions. Please include a parent or guardian on all emails.
There are many amazing sports/activities for students to participate at South and in the community. We would love for you to submit an audition application if this opportunity is right for you.
Students are REQUIRED to provide their own APPROPRIATE SHOES AS SPECIFIED BY THE CHOREOGRAPHER or COSTUMER. This is typically for character, jazz, ballet, or tap shoes, depending on the needs of the show.
Students on the crew are REQUIRED to wear all black clothes for the dress rehearsals and performances.
Students are welcome to email Mr. Hastings directly with questions. Please include a parent or guardian on all emails.
There are many amazing sports/activities for students to participate at South and in the community. We would love for you to submit an audition application if this opportunity is right for you.
Auditions/Crew Interviews will bE HelD on Wednesday, January 14th
20 acting roles & 10 technicians
A note about crew for this show: Our production will have a super crew that work on all areas of the show including set constructions and painting & lighting hang and focus. The crew will be assigned a specific role for the nights of the show. These positions will include 2 stage managers, 2 lights technicians, 2 sound technicians, 2 running crew/props, and 2 costume/makeup/wigs.
The Characters
(in order of appearance)
The MAYOR of a small Russian town, Anton Antonovich Skvoznik-Dhukhanovsky
The JUDGE, Ammos Fiodorovich Liapkin-Tiapkin
The SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS, Luka Lukich Khlopov
The DIRECTOR OF CHARITIES, Artemy Filippovich Zemlianika
MISHKA, a servant in The Mayor’s house
The POSTMASTER, Ivan Kuzmich Shpekin
Peter Ivanovich DOBCHINSKY, a landowner
Peter Ivanovich BOBCHINSKY, another landowner
The SERGEANT, Derzhimoda of the local police force
The CHIEF OF POLICE, Stepan Ilyich Ukhovertov
The MAYOR’S WIFE, Anna Andreyevna
MARYA Antonovna, the Mayor’s daughter
OSIP, a servant to Khlestakov
Ivan Alexandrovich KHLESTAKOV, a government clerk
The WAITRESS, at a local Inn
MERCHANT I, Abdullah
MERCHANT II, Rastakovsky
MERCHANT III, Lyulyukov
The LOCKSMITH’S WIFE, Fevronya Petrova Poshliopkina
The CORPORAL’S WIDOW, Ivanova Alexandrovna Smirnk
(in order of appearance)
The MAYOR of a small Russian town, Anton Antonovich Skvoznik-Dhukhanovsky
The JUDGE, Ammos Fiodorovich Liapkin-Tiapkin
The SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS, Luka Lukich Khlopov
The DIRECTOR OF CHARITIES, Artemy Filippovich Zemlianika
MISHKA, a servant in The Mayor’s house
The POSTMASTER, Ivan Kuzmich Shpekin
Peter Ivanovich DOBCHINSKY, a landowner
Peter Ivanovich BOBCHINSKY, another landowner
The SERGEANT, Derzhimoda of the local police force
The CHIEF OF POLICE, Stepan Ilyich Ukhovertov
The MAYOR’S WIFE, Anna Andreyevna
MARYA Antonovna, the Mayor’s daughter
OSIP, a servant to Khlestakov
Ivan Alexandrovich KHLESTAKOV, a government clerk
The WAITRESS, at a local Inn
MERCHANT I, Abdullah
MERCHANT II, Rastakovsky
MERCHANT III, Lyulyukov
The LOCKSMITH’S WIFE, Fevronya Petrova Poshliopkina
The CORPORAL’S WIDOW, Ivanova Alexandrovna Smirnk
Setting:
A small, provincial Russian town, 1836
Act I: The sitting room in the house of the mayor.
Act II: A small room in the inn of the town, immediately following.
Act III thru Act V: Again in the sitting room at the mayor’s, some time later.
A small, provincial Russian town, 1836
Act I: The sitting room in the house of the mayor.
Act II: A small room in the inn of the town, immediately following.
Act III thru Act V: Again in the sitting room at the mayor’s, some time later.
Adaptor’s Note:
It is with great humility that I offer this new adaptation of this classic comedy.
I first read The Government Inspector in 1967 as a class assignment when I was taking Russian Theatre from my teacher and mentor, Professor William Kuhlke, at the University of Kansas.
At some time or another, I saw the musical movie version, The Inspector General, starring Danny Kaye. I have only a dim memory of that.
I encountered the play again when I was serving as a Festival Respondent at the Arizona State
Festival of the American College Theatre Festival in the late 70s.
It had quite gone out of my mind until the Spring of 2010 when I began to formulate a plan to
create EARTh (Equity Actors’ Readers’ Theatre)—to bring together members of the wonderfully
talented professional theatre community in the Greater Kansas City area to present a series of
one-night-only concert-style stage readings of plays that are, sadly, too often un-produced—due
to their large cast size or number of sets, etc.
As EARTh was being formulated, I contacted my dear friend and colleague, Doug Weaver, and
asked him to send me a list of ten plays that he might like to direct as stage readings. He replied
with, “Ten plays? I’ll send you a list of a hundred!” The Government Inspector was high on his
list, and, as such, was included in EARTh’s Inaugural Series.
Once that was determined, we then needed to select which translation/adaptation we wanted to
use. There are numerous ones from which to choose. For one reason or another, none seemed
quite right for us—one was perhaps too archaic, one too academic, one too contemporary, etc. I
decided to try my hand at making “our own” adaptation.
I wish to recognize the translations/adaptations that have gone before and those translators/
adaptors whose work I have used to guide and inspire me. In particular, they include Thomas
Seltzer, Ronald Wilks, Leonid Ignatieff, Peter Raby, and Jeffrey Hatcher. I am in their debt.
And, of course, are all in the debt of Mr. Gogol, whose self-evident comic genius has endured
for over 175 years.
—Kip Niven
28 February 2011
I first read The Government Inspector in 1967 as a class assignment when I was taking Russian Theatre from my teacher and mentor, Professor William Kuhlke, at the University of Kansas.
At some time or another, I saw the musical movie version, The Inspector General, starring Danny Kaye. I have only a dim memory of that.
I encountered the play again when I was serving as a Festival Respondent at the Arizona State
Festival of the American College Theatre Festival in the late 70s.
It had quite gone out of my mind until the Spring of 2010 when I began to formulate a plan to
create EARTh (Equity Actors’ Readers’ Theatre)—to bring together members of the wonderfully
talented professional theatre community in the Greater Kansas City area to present a series of
one-night-only concert-style stage readings of plays that are, sadly, too often un-produced—due
to their large cast size or number of sets, etc.
As EARTh was being formulated, I contacted my dear friend and colleague, Doug Weaver, and
asked him to send me a list of ten plays that he might like to direct as stage readings. He replied
with, “Ten plays? I’ll send you a list of a hundred!” The Government Inspector was high on his
list, and, as such, was included in EARTh’s Inaugural Series.
Once that was determined, we then needed to select which translation/adaptation we wanted to
use. There are numerous ones from which to choose. For one reason or another, none seemed
quite right for us—one was perhaps too archaic, one too academic, one too contemporary, etc. I
decided to try my hand at making “our own” adaptation.
I wish to recognize the translations/adaptations that have gone before and those translators/
adaptors whose work I have used to guide and inspire me. In particular, they include Thomas
Seltzer, Ronald Wilks, Leonid Ignatieff, Peter Raby, and Jeffrey Hatcher. I am in their debt.
And, of course, are all in the debt of Mr. Gogol, whose self-evident comic genius has endured
for over 175 years.
—Kip Niven
28 February 2011
The first public performance of this adaptation was the third presentation in the Inaugural Series
(2010-’11) of EARTh (Equity Actors’ Readers’ Theatre) on February 21st, 2011, in the
theatre/auditorium of the Music & Arts Building on the campus of St. Teresa’s Academy in
Kansas City, MO.
(2010-’11) of EARTh (Equity Actors’ Readers’ Theatre) on February 21st, 2011, in the
theatre/auditorium of the Music & Arts Building on the campus of St. Teresa’s Academy in
Kansas City, MO.
The Company included:
The Mayor...............................................Doug Weaver
The Superintendent of Schools.........Scott Cordes
The Judge.......................................Herman Johansen
The Director of Charities.....Richard Alan Nichols
Mishka.....................................................Dodie Brown
The Postmaster........................................Larry Greer
Dobchinsky..............................................Ray Ettinger
Bobchinsky........................................Michael Dragen
The Sergeant..................................Martin Buchanan
The Chief of Police................................Evan Gamsu
The Mayor’s Wife....................Melinda MacDonald
Marya...........................................Jennie Greenberry
Osip.......................................................Ken Remmert
Khletsakov......................................Darren Kennedy
The Waitress....................................Natalie Weaver
Merchant I.............................................Kevin Albert
Merchant II....................................Marshall Rimann
Merchant III............................................Rick Brown
The Locksmith’s Wife.......................Jennifer Mays
The Corporal’s Widow....................Katie Gilchrest
The Mayor...............................................Doug Weaver
The Superintendent of Schools.........Scott Cordes
The Judge.......................................Herman Johansen
The Director of Charities.....Richard Alan Nichols
Mishka.....................................................Dodie Brown
The Postmaster........................................Larry Greer
Dobchinsky..............................................Ray Ettinger
Bobchinsky........................................Michael Dragen
The Sergeant..................................Martin Buchanan
The Chief of Police................................Evan Gamsu
The Mayor’s Wife....................Melinda MacDonald
Marya...........................................Jennie Greenberry
Osip.......................................................Ken Remmert
Khletsakov......................................Darren Kennedy
The Waitress....................................Natalie Weaver
Merchant I.............................................Kevin Albert
Merchant II....................................Marshall Rimann
Merchant III............................................Rick Brown
The Locksmith’s Wife.......................Jennifer Mays
The Corporal’s Widow....................Katie Gilchrest
The presentation was produced in association with Kansas City Young Audiences under the
jurisdiction of the Actors’ Equity Association Kansas City-area Liaison Committee as an AEA
Member’s Project Code. The presentation was under the direction of Doug Weaver, with Jim
Mitchell as Production Stage Manager. The MPC Coordinator was Kip Niven, MPC Treasurer
was Sarah LaBarr, who also, along with Kathleen Warfel, served as House Managers.
Invaluable assistance was provided by Katie McCalla, Production Intern, Claire MacLachlan,
Stage Management Intern, and Maggie Niven, Front-of-House Intern.
jurisdiction of the Actors’ Equity Association Kansas City-area Liaison Committee as an AEA
Member’s Project Code. The presentation was under the direction of Doug Weaver, with Jim
Mitchell as Production Stage Manager. The MPC Coordinator was Kip Niven, MPC Treasurer
was Sarah LaBarr, who also, along with Kathleen Warfel, served as House Managers.
Invaluable assistance was provided by Katie McCalla, Production Intern, Claire MacLachlan,
Stage Management Intern, and Maggie Niven, Front-of-House Intern.