Molière’s hilarious comic masterpiece “Tartuffe,” in the Philadelphia-area premiere of a new version by Constance Congdon, will open the Rutgers-Camden theater season beginning November 19th at the Walter K. Gordon Theater, featuring a cast of Rutgers-Camden students and faculty.

There will be six performances: 5 p.m. Wednesday, November 19; 8 p.m. Thursday, Friday, and Saturday November 20-22, and 2 p.m. Sunday, November 23.

One of the glories of French theater from the age of Louis XIV, “Tartuffe” is a stinging satire of religious hypocrisy that is remarkably relevant to modern American audiences, particularly in a presidential election year. This relevance will be emphasized by the Rutgers-Camden production, which sets the play in present-day New Jersey.

“This new version of the play by Constance Congdon has a snappy, contemporary quality while maintaining the elegance of Molière’s verse,” according to the director, Kenneth Elliott, assistant professor of theater at Rutgers-Camden. Elliott, who joined the Rutgers-Camden faculty last year, has directed many off-Broadway productions, including “Vampire Lesbians of Sodom,” “Psycho Beach Party,” and “The Boys in the Band.” He has also directed at regional theaters across the country, including the Wilma Theater and the Prince Music Theater here in the Philadelphia area. He earned his doctoral degree from the University of California, Los Angeles.

Pulitzer Prize winner Tony Kushner has called Constance Congdon “one of the best playwrights this language has produced.” Her plays “Casanova” and “Dog Opera” were produced at the Public Theater in New York. “Tales of the Lost Formicans” is her most well-known play, and has had over 200 productions worldwide, most recently in Cairo and Helsinki. She currently teaches playwriting at Amherst College.

There are 11 student actors in the diverse cast, including Marcelo Carrascosa, Patrick Castañeda, Sean Cummings, Michael Fisher, Lisa Green, Angela Harmon, Kearstie Kaspar, Theo Langason, Mimi McKenna, Brittany Robinson, and Dominick Ruggiero.

In addition, Professor Nancy Ellis, lecturer in theater, plays the role of Madame Pernelle.

Technical direction and design of the production is by James Mobley, theater operations coordinator at Rutgers-Camden; costumes are by Mark Mariani, who has worked at the Prince Music Theater and the Walnut Street Theater; and sound design is by Stefan Örn Arnarson.

The Gordon Theater is located in the Fine Arts Complex on Third Street between Cooper Street and the Benjamin Franklin Bridge on the Rutgers-Camden campus. Admission is $10; $8 for seniors and Rutgers employees; $5 for students. Advance tickets are free for Rutgers-Camden students with identification and can be picked up at the Impact Booth.

For more information, visit www.tartuffeincamden.com or call (856) 225-6176.