The Misanthrope

This afternoon at 2:30 p.m., Boulevard Theatre opens its production of The Misanthrope, 17th-century French playwright Moliere’s most enduring work and an early predecessor to “Curb Your Enthusiasm” if there ever was one. The plot, in short, follows Alceste, a grump with no regard for the social conventions of France’s elite. Improbably, he falls in love with a woman who represents everything that he loathes. The play’s message is ambiguous. To this day, scholars debate whether Moliere meant the audiences to sympathize with Alceste because of his opposition to vain social constructs, or whether they’re meant to frown on him, since he’s an irrational idealist.