Laughter Proves the Best Medicine for ‘Invalid’ : Theater review: Moliere’s classic and classical comedy is a fine romp at Orange Coast College. Most of the cast revels in the fun.

COSTA MESA — A decade ago, when doctors in Santa Monica went on strike, a number of the city’s residents suddenly were amazed to find they didn’t need the doctors as much as they thought. Of course, as soon as the strike was over, the patients flocked back to the waiting rooms with their empty prescription bottles.

That’s the whole point of Moliere’s classic and classical comedy “The Imaginary Invalid,” at Orange Coast College’s outdoor Fine Arts Amphitheatre through Sunday. Argan (Troy Johnson) has been desperately ill for years, or at least he thinks so, and he is upheld in his belief by his physician Mr. Purgon (Jamie Sweet) and his apothecary Mr. Fleurant (director Pilou Chapeaud in a small role).

Argan even wants to marry off his daughter Angelique (Montica Reeves) to Thomas (Peter Kreder), the imbecilic son of another doctor, Mr. Lillicrap (Scott Fisher). Thomas, himself about to become a doctor, could ensure Argan’s well-being in his declining years. . ..

There’s more to the fun than that, including an insincere and greedy wife (Jenifer Green), but Moliere’s very sincere jokes about doctors are the play’s raison d’etre . And, considering everything, the jokes are even more valid today, particularly in an argument between Argan and his brother Beralde (Michael Rinke) about Moliere’s right to ridicule doctors in his play. Moliere even throws in a few lawyer jokes to show he’s au courant .

Chapeaud has directed the production with a fine sense of period style, and most of his cast members revel in the rarefied atmosphere of Molierean fun. A few don’t grasp the flavor or the intricacies of the genre, but the central figures do, and that’s what’s important: The leads deliver Moliere’s gags with aplomb.

*

Johnson’s Argan is pompous and unbending, but he lets us see some of the warmth beneath the crusty exterior of this professional patient. Jenn Ortiz-Chapeaud is a delight as Toinette, Argan’s wise and witty servant; hers is a frolicking and inventive portrait of a Gallic control freak par excellence . Justin Walvoord is a stalwart, charming Cleante, suitor to Angelique, and Rinke’s Beralde, brother to Argan, brings an impishly intelligent and scholarly note of logic to the madness.

Reeves’ Angeligue is simply pliant and agreeable, which is exactly how Moliere saw her, and young Birgitta Ragnarsdottir is charming as Argan’s smallest daughter. Kreder’s dork of a Thomas just misses the style by some odd timing in his readings.

Green hasn’t yet settled into the style as Argan’s scheming frau Belene, and neither has Fisher as both Mr. Lillicrap and Belene’s equally scheming notary. Sweet misses by several miles as Purgon, apparently thinking the style consists of overacting, strutting, posing and swirling his cloak like Bela Lugosi.

* “The Imaginary Invalid,” Fine Arts Amphitheatre, Orange Coast College, 2701 Fairview Road, Costa Mesa. Friday and Saturday, 7 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday, 2 p.m. Ends Sunday. $5. (714) 432-5932. Running time: 2 hours.

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Troy Johnson: Argan

Jenn Ortiz-Chapeau: Toinette

Michael Rinke: Beralde

Jenifer Green: Belene

Justin Walvoord: Cleante

Montica Reeves: Angelique

Birgitta Ragnarsdottir: Louison

Scott Fisher: Mr. Lillicrap/Mr. Goodfellow

Peter Kreder Thomas: Lillicrap

Jamie Sweet: Mr. Purgon

Pilou Chapeaud: Mr. Fleurant

An Orange Coast College Theatre Department Repertory production of Moliere’s comedy, directed by Pilou Chapeaud. Scenic design: Chapeaud and David Scaglione. Costumes: Brenda Wyatt. Stage manager: Jamie Sweet.