THE BASICS:
ICTC remounting of Oscar Wilde’s celebrated comedy, EARNEST (A Trivial Comedy for Serious People) plays weekends through June 25th at the Andrews Theatre downtown. Kristen Tripp Kelley directs a cast of eight. The play runs two and a half hours with its single intermission. Tickets.
THUMBNAIL SKETCH:
Love and (potential) marriage among the upper classes in England, 1895. Many complications arise from the fact that both of the protagonists, Jack and Algernon, have been living sneaky double lives (country and city) for their own pleasure. The desired women, Gwendolen and Cecily, seem quite smitten, but will have no suitors except for ones named Earnest, and this appears to rule both of them out! Confused identity is the order of the day. Wilde joyfully skewers the bountiful deceit and foibles of his own society, while giving his epigrammatic wit free rein. Somehow, a happy ending is engineered before the curtain falls!
THE PLAY, THE PLAYERS, AND THE PRODUCTION:
The script, coming to us mainly through the opinings of the roguish Algernon, is still a thing of beauty. There are so many great “laugh lines”, its an abundance of riches! Cast-wise, Josh Wilde (as straight-arrow Jack) and Ben Michael Moran (as the puckish Algernon) are both particularly good, and seem very comfortable with each other. Melinda Capeles (as Gwendolen) and Renee Landrigan (as Cecily) are likewise enjoyable as the “girls”, but lack the booming voices needed to be easily understood on the problematic Andrews stage. Chris Kelly does solid work as Lady Bracknell, Gwendolen’s terrifying aunt. I only wish that he were a little “bigger” and even more terrifying! The role is an absolute scene-stealer!
There continue to be major auditory and visual issues at the Andrews. The EARNEST patio-furniture set was lost on me. The Tom Makar music is notably odd. Kristen Tripp Kelley keeps things rolling along pretty well, but there are the usual problems with sightlines at the Andrews’ theater-in-the-rectangle. A parting thought: the energy of the piece does seem to wane a little near the end. It’s a pretty long two and a half hours!
IN SUM:
The production has its issues, surely. But here is a rare chance to “catch” Mr. Wilde back in 1895, as it were, at the top of his creative game…
Lead image (Clockwise from Top L): Josh Wilde, Melinda Capeles, Renee Landrigan, Ben Michael Moran
*HERD OF BUFFALO (Notes on the Rating System)
ONE BUFFALO: This means trouble. A dreadful play, a highly flawed production, or both. Unless there is some really compelling reason for you to attend (i.e. you are the parent of someone who is in it), give this show a wide berth.
TWO BUFFALOS: Passable, but no great shakes. Either the production is pretty far off base, or the play itself is problematic. Unless you are the sort of person who’s happy just going to the theater, you might look around for something else.
THREE BUFFALOS: I still have my issues, but this is a pretty darn good night at the theater. If you don’t go in with huge expectations, you will probably be pleased.
FOUR BUFFALOS: Both the production and the play are of high caliber. If the genre/content are up your alley, I would make a real effort to attend.
FIVE BUFFALOS: Truly superb–a rare rating. Comedies that leave you weak with laughter, dramas that really touch the heart. Provided that this is the kind of show you like, you’d be a fool to miss it!