By Molière, translated by Bernard Sahlins. “Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme” is a 1670 work by renowned French playwright Jean-Baptiste Poquelin, better known by his stage name Molière. In “The Bourgeois Gentleman,” a new translation of the original play by Bernard Sahlins, Molière’s beloved comedy features a rising member of the middle class who lusts for social status and higher learning.