SMU students to stage chaotic comedy ‘The Government Inspector’ Nov. 7-10

WINONA, Minn. — The Saint Mary’s University Department of Theatre and Dance will present the satirical comedy “The Government Inspector” Nov. 7-10 at Page Theatre. Shows run 7:30 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, Nov. 7-9, and 3 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 10.

The news that a government inspector is due to arrive in a small Russian town sends its bureaucrats into a panicked frenzy. A simple case of mistaken identity exposes the hypocrisy and corruption at the heart of the town in this biting moral satire. Witty, smart and wildly satirical, this timely and spirited adaptation of Nikolai Gogol’s classic play exposes the corruption of a provincial town with biting hilarity.

Guest director Gale Childs Daly has served as the text coach for the Great River Shakespeare Festival since its inception in 2006. The actor, director, teacher, writer and dialect/text coach is from Milwaukee, Wis.

The play was selected to coincide with the 400th anniversary of the Romanov Dynasty. Although Russian comedies are known to be dreary and heavy, “The Government Inspector” — adapted by Minnesota playwright Jeffrey Hatcher — is both modern and funny.

Tickets are $10 for adults, $5 for students and seniors and area available at www.pagetheatre.org or at the SMU Box Office, (507) 457-1715, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday.