Dan Potter grew up in a family of clowns, for real.
The Merrimac resident describes himself as a third-generation clown, following in the antics of his grandmother, parents, aunt and uncle. He started clowning at age 5, and with his sisters became part of the family business for a while.
"We mean it quite literally when we say my family is clowning around," Potter says.
After he quit clowning at age 12, Potter started acting in plays in both middle and high school, and has continued on the stage for the last four years at Northern Essex Community College in Haverhill.
The next two weekends, he will be portraying a more cynical and devious side as he assumes the title character in an adaptation of Moliere's "Tartuffe" for the opening production in the college's newly named Chester W. Hawrylciw Theater on the Haverhill campus. The production opens tomorrow night and runs through Nov. 14.
Written and first performed in 1664, the comedy focuses on an imposter, a believer and a family of skeptics. It is set in the home of the wealthy and naive Orgon, where Tartuffe, a fraud and pious imposter, has insinuated himself.
In his game of hypocrisy and trickery, Tartuffe tries to marry Orgon's engaged daughter as well as seduce his wife. But Tartuffe gets too entangled as he tried to scrounge the deed to Orgon's property and is eventually found out and sent to jail.
Potter says Tartuffe is difficult at times to play because he is so contradictory. But he credits cast mate Michael Johnson of Amesbury, who plays Orgon, with providing encouragement.
Johnson is also finding Orgon to be his most challenging role in his two years majoring in theater at Northern Essex.
"He's very complex. He can be an idiot, but he has good reasons for it," Johnson says. "It can be hard to portray that in a convincing way without going over the top."
The production represents the first introduction to "Tartuffe" for both the college and director Jim Murphy. "This population on campus hasn't been introduced to Moliere yet," says Johnson, who describes the staging of the play as both rewarding and frustrating.
Murphy says former American poet laureate Richard Wilbur has held on to the rhyming pattern of Moliere in his adaptation, resulting in what is a script that's "a great deal of fun."
With every production, Murphy hopes to reflect the educational process that the actors have gone through. With "Tartuffe" especially, he wants to convey a sense of relevance for the audience as well.
"When we choose a period piece, the last thing I want is for an audience to say, 'That's ancient history. It doesn't apply to us,'" Murphy says. "Any play is so much more than that. The themes in 'Tartuffe' are as relevant today as they were in the 1600s."
Potter, a general studies major, believes that Murphy, together with professor Susan Sanders, who works on production design, encourages the performers to stretch themselves as actors.
"The way that Jim and Susan run the theater program is the reason why I do it," Potter says. "Jim is an amazing director, and I have learned so much from him."
Even with a recent 11-hour rehearsal that featured a run-through of the show, Potter and Johnson agree that the cast is finally coming together.
"I really think it's a good script and the story is great," Johnson says. "It's mostly the people I'm working with that make it good, even though it can be tiring at times. I'm looking forward to doing it for an audience, and hopefully they'll like it."
IF YOU GO
What: Moliere's "Tartuffe" presented by Northern Essex Community College's Top Notch Players
When: Tomorrow and Saturday and Nov. 12 through 14, 7:30 p.m.
Where: Chester W. Hawrylciw Theater, Spurk Building, 100 Elliott St., Haverhill
How: Admission $10, $8 students and seniors, $6 ages 6 and under. Call 978-556-3374.
ON STAGE
The cast of "Tartuffe" features several performers from Greater Newburyport. They include:
Dan Potter of Merrimac: Tartuffe
Michael Johnson of Amesbury: Orgon
Josh Everett of Newburyport: Cleante
Sarah McCarthy of Amesbury: Mariane
Jon Moriarty of Newbury: Valere
Richard Mullen of Newburyport: Officer
Recording Superstar Whitney Houston Dead at 48
Maine GOP Chairman Says Romney Wins Caucuses
Palin Brings Anti-Washington Message to CPAC
Obama Scraps Birth Control Mandate
US Airmen's Killer Sentenced to Life in Germany
Navy Names Ship for Gabrielle Giffords
Raw Video: Deadly Blasts in Syria
Romney Slams President Obama at CPAC
Gingrich: Pres. Obama 'waging War on Religion'
5 Killed in Wrong-way Crash on I-10 in La.
Uzbek Man Pleads Guilty in Plot to Kill Obama
Denver's Largest-Ever Drug Bust Nets Dozens
Marines: No Punishment for Nazi-like Flag
Vets Look to Translate Military Skills Into Jobs
Raw Video: School Bus Burst Into Flames
LA School Reopens Amid Sex Abuse Scandal
$25B Settlement Reached Over Foreclosure Abuses
Pentagon: Allow Women Closer to Front Lines
LA School in Sex Abuse Scandal Reopens
Raw Video: Italy's Mount Etna Bursts Into Life
