‘The Government Inspector’ Opens at UA’s Gallaway Theatre

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Playwright Nikolai Gogol’s comedy “The Government Inspector” will hit the Gallaway Theatre’s stage Tuesday, Nov. 6 at The University of Alabama.

With a compulsive liar for its central character and a group of corrupt elected officials as the supporting cast, this Russian classic combines broad physical comedy with sharp satire.

The play opens with officials in a remote Russian backwater flying into a panic at news that the czar is sending a secret government inspector to monitor their activities. When they hear about a stranger staying at the local hotel, they assume he’s the man in question and launch a comical, bribery-laden campaign to win his favor. Meanwhile, the real inspector may already be in their midst.

Though first produced in 1836, “The Government Inspector” possesses the timelessness of all great comedies. Its author, Gogol, a brilliant playwright and novelist who died young under mysterious circumstances, has been cited as an influence by such comedic greats as Woody Allen and Groucho Marx.

“The Government Inspector” runs in the Marian Gallaway Theatre Tuesday, Nov. 6 through Sunday, Nov. 11. Performance times are 7:30 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, with 2 p.m. matinees Saturday and Sunday.

Following the Saturday matinee is a Talk Back session in which audience members can ask questions of the cast and crew and learn more about the production process.

Tickets are $13 for adults, $11 for UA faculty, staff and seniors, and $9 for students (all prices include a $1 service fee). Group rates are available for parties of 10 or more. Tickets can be purchased at the box office in Rowand-Johnson Hall from noon-5 p.m. (205/348-3400) or anytime at www.crimsonartstickets.com.

In the spirit of the play, actors will be handing out “ruble” bribes on Thursday, Nov. 8 and Friday, Nov. 9. Students who bring these special rubles to the Friday or Saturday performances can exchange them for the opportunity to draw a discount slip from the Great Bribe Bowl. Everyone will receive at least a $1 discount; some will win $3 or $5 off the ticket price and some will win free tickets.