The Imaginary Invalid
Premiere November 1, 1944 / Title of the original: Le Malade Imaginaire Director Jože Tiran Translator Friderik Juvančič Scenographer Branko Simčič Music producer Ciril Cvetko Argan, imaginary invalid Lojze Potokar Belina, Argan's second wife Ema Starc Angélique, Argan's daughter and Cléante's lover Ivanka Mežan Toinette, maid Draga Ahačič Luison, Argan's daughter and Angélique's sister Pavlinca Müller Bérald, Argan's brother France Presetnik Cléante, Angélique's beloved Stane Česnik Monsieur Diafoirus, physician Jože Gale Thomas Diafoirus, his son and Angélique's fiancé Dušan Mevlja Monsieur de Bonnefoi, notary Nace Simončič Monsieur Purgon, Argans's physician Ivo Puhar Stage manager Drago Makuc

With Molière's play The Imaginary Invalid, three female course attendants joined the team succesfully: Draga Ahačič, Ivanka Mežan and the fifteen-year-old Pavlinca Müller. »New, attractive, charming: those were the girls,« writes Filip Kalan in The Wind of Joy. And Dušan Moravec wrote the following on The Imaginary Invalid in Slovenski poročevalec (24. 11. 1944): »through them the theatre wanted to demonstrate that we are ready to revive all that is great.... what the ages have brought down to us … that we wanted to do the kind of work that goes beyond mere agitation, and that the management wanted to elevate new, young and competent actors who had been educated by our drama school.« Filip Kalan remembers how initially they were sceptical about the playwright, saying he was not suitable for the Partisan context, since he lacked the »battle instinct«. Exactly the opposite proved to be the case; at the premiere, the doors were torn down for the rush of people eager to see the play...

Scene from Act Two, Lojze Potokar in the part of Argan, Jože Gale in the part of Diafoirus, Stane Česnik in the part of Cléante
Scene from Act Two, Lojze Potokar in the part of Argan, Ema Starc in the part of Beline, Draga Ahačič in the part of Toinette
Scene from Act Two, Lojze Potokar in the part of Argan, France Presetnik in the part of Béralde, Jože Gale in the part of Diafoirus, Draga Ahačič in the part of Toinette
Scene from the performance, Draga Ahačič in the part of Toinette, Lojze Potokar in the part of Argan, France Presetnik v vlogi Béralde, Ivanka Mežan in the part of Angélique, Stane Česnik v vlogi Cléante
Scene from Act Three, Draga Ahačič in the part of Toinette, Lojze Potokar in the part of Argan, Ivanka Mežan v vlogi Angélique, France Presetnik v vlogi Béralde, Stane Česnik v vlogi Cléante
Actors in make up room
Page from the inspicientske book
Performance review from Slovenski poročevalec
Premiere November 1, 1944 / Title of the original: Le Malade Imaginaire Director Jože Tiran Translator Friderik Juvančič Scenographer Branko Simčič Music producer Ciril Cvetko Argan, imaginary invalid Lojze Potokar Belina, Argan's second wife Ema Starc Angélique, Argan's daughter and Cléante's lover Ivanka Mežan Toinette, maid Draga Ahačič Luison, Argan's daughter and Angélique's sister Pavlinca Müller Bérald, Argan's brother France Presetnik Cléante, Angélique's beloved Stane Česnik Monsieur Diafoirus, physician Jože Gale Thomas Diafoirus, his son and Angélique's fiancé Dušan Mevlja Monsieur de Bonnefoi, notary Nace Simončič Monsieur Purgon, Argans's physician Ivo Puhar Stage manager Drago Makuc
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