Audra Greco/Roundup
The stage lights up revealing the decorated interior of a posh London residence where a butler is amusingly laying out the afternoon tea, dancing to the badly played tune offstage by Algernon Moncrieff. Algernon enters stage right and the butler falls into submission, denying his employers inquiry of hearing the tune, replying “I did not think it polite to listen, sir.” Algernon counters “I’m sorry for that, for your sake. I don’t play accurately – anyone can play accurately – but I play with wonderful expression.”
So starts “The Importance of Being Earnest”, the eloquent satire of Victorian manner by the classical writer Oscar Wilde.
Set in 1890s London, the play stays true to Wilde’s script and captures the ideals and charms in a time of courting, which is presented as paradoxically over-idealized. The classical language is fluently performed, in all its graceful comedic style, by a well rounded cast.
Actor Michael Hovance, who plays main character John Worthington, captures Worthington’s personality of the serious, responsible man who is unknowingly and innocently hypocritical in his double life as Ernest. Worthington uses the fictional Ernest as his misbehaving brother to those in the country where his obligations lie, and ironically uses the name himself in the town where he escapes to court the wealthy, snobbish Hon. Gwendolen Fairfax, embodied fully by Dana Dru.
Jean Gilpin, who plays Gwendolen’s mother Lady Bracknell, perfectly brought to life the matriarch controlling character who is more interested in pedigree and money than love. There is a specific scene in which Lady Bracknell is interviewing Worthington to determine his worthiness of her daughters’ hand that sums up the play’s underlying message of the absurdity of the Victorian values.
Brian Graves’ character, Algernon Moncrieff – Worthington’s friend in town and cousin to the Hon. Gwendolen – though not the main character, arguably demanded the most attention. This was due, in part to the flamboyant nature of the character, as well as Graves fully embodying the rich play boy and pulling off in comedic glory the nonchalant persona of Algernon. Discovering the double life of Worthington and learning of his beautiful young ward Cecily, played by Sara Lynne Wright who captures the dreamy romanticizing of a young girl, Algernon mischievously departs to Worthington’s estate in the country in disguise as his fictitious brother Ernest.
Here the entwining of the characters thickens, true to Oscar Wilde’s writing, introducing characters Rev. Canon Chausuble played by Bill Walsh, and Miss Prim, Cecily’s tutor, played by Marilyn Lazik. The minor characters of both added a sort of lightness to the play amidst the dramatics of the women, seriousness of Worthington, and carelessness of Algernon.
Although slightly lacking in set, overall, for a small production play, the characters are well-preformed by all actors, especially those of actors Brian Graves and Jean Gilpin, enough so that it captures the essence of Oscar Wilde himself.