What might an Elvis Presley lookalike and his bobby-soxer girlfriend be doing in a 17th century play by the great French playwright, Moliere?

If this makes you curious, be sure to attend this year's Spring Production, "The Imaginary Invalid," adapted by Timothy Mooney from Moliere's absurd comedy. The play pokes fun at hypochondria, hypocrisy, and the eternal conflicts of will between parents and children.

Performances are Friday, May 1, and, Saturday, 2, at 8 p.m., with a matinee on May 2 at 3 p.m., in the Andes Pit Theater, Walker Hall. Tickets are free, but seating is extremely limited. To reserve seats e-mail diana.canterbury@worcesteracademy.org. Students may also obtain tickets during lunch.

Diana Canterbury, director of the production, explains that it is the director's job to "breathe new life into old works." By setting the play in 1955, Canterbury says that the "timeless theme of a power struggle between parents and their adolescent kids is as fresh and relevant as a contemporary script.  Those of us who recall the 50s remember it as time when teenagers were discovering their autonomy. In 'The Imaginary Invalid,' the lovely young Angelique has fallen in love with a young man who does not meet her father's approval. The conflict between father and daughter reaps the same results as contemporary conflicts - and in this play, the results are hilarious!"

Moliere's play is also fun to see because it builds on the roots of Italian comedy, known as commedia dell'arte. This comic style, which features stock characters and physical humor called "lazzi," is the basis of nearly all modern comedy, from the Three Stooges to the captivating performances of current comics like Jim Carey. These archetypal characters are just as familiar and funny as they were when Moliere discovered them in the street performances of traveling companies in 17th century Italy.

The upcoming production features eight seniors and eight juniors, including: Kim Kneeland, Jonathan Ricciardi, Rebecca Wefald, Karin Wefald, Malcolm Evans, Matthew Laderoute, Allison Ford, and Julia Zhao, all members of this year's graduating class; and juniors Arianna Dolphin, Casey McCarthy, Savannah Grant, Sayaka Sato, Paul Zhang, Steven Yu, Nimish Ajmani, and Alex Dillaire.

Stage manager is Catrina Doxsee and assistant stage manager is Andrew Fan. For information, contact Diana Canterbury at diana.canterbury@worcesteracademy.org