When a 17th century play feels fresh, contemporary and accessible, without having to modernize the setting or pull any other tricks, you know a production is on to something. Enter Shakespeare Theatre Company’s production of Moliere’s Don Juan.

The Don Juan legend is fairly commonplace at this point: rich lord seduces the ladies, over and over again, without regrets, and ultimately has to answer for his indiscretions. Directed and translated by Stephen Wadsworth, the new script relies on familiar cliches and idioms while still managing to transport us to another time and place. Authentic costumes and makeup help keep us in the 1600s, as does a cast who pretends the king himself is in our audience – a clever opening monologue alludes to the king’s generosity as a patron, and hurried cries of “Long live the king!” interrupt the text at random, particularly when the script has just offered a sharp, satirical barb. It’s a funny and convincing illusion, though it gets a little repetitive by show’s end.