The Importance of Being Earnest
In the world of classical comedy, the mere mention of outrageous
social satire makes everyone think of Moliere, just as Shakespeare's
name leaps to mind when speaking of mistaken identity.
Add mercurial wit, drop-dead one-liners, and titillating farce to
the list, and you can lay bets that people are referring to Oscar
Wilde--the brilliant farceur who rode roughshod on Victorian society.
There's no doubt that Oscar Fingal O'Flahertie Wills Wilde was a
comedic genius. Who else could write such delightful works as "Lady
Windermere's Fan," "Salome," "An Ideal Husband" and "The Importance
of Being Earnest" before he paid the ultimate price for bucking the
hypocrisy of 19th-century British society?
But mounting "Earnest" today is another matter entirely. Most
contemporary attempts turn this delightful societal spoof into a
shallow television sitcom. So hats-off and a round of applause to
South Coast Repertory for getting it right.
Under Warner Shook's impeccable direction, the current SCR
production is superb and the design elements are dazzling. Kudos to
Michael Olich's sumptuous set, Lap-Chi Chu's lighting, Nephelie
Andonyadis' elegant costumes, and Michael Roth's original music.
You couldn't ask for a better ensemble. It's flawless. As Wilde
himself quipped, "It is not good for one's morale to see bad acting,"
and in this production you certainly don't.
Especially outstanding is Michael Gotch as Algernon. His
portrayal of this penniless young dandy who devotes his life to
hedonistic pleasures is absolutely irrepressible.
Also excellent are Tommy Schrider as his best friend Jack who
lives in the country; Kandis Chappell as Lady Bracknell, Algernon's
uppity class-conscious aunt; Christine Marie Brown as Gwendolen, Lady
Bracknell's spoiled daughter; and Elise Hunt as Cecily, Jack's
teen-age, head-strong ward.
The mistaken identity card comes in handy when Jack (a wealthy
young man of unknown heritage), pretends to have a brother named
Ernest when he wants to escape from his dutiful life in the country.
When in London, he assumes the identity of his erstwhile brother,
which gives him the freedom to kick up his heels.
In fact, Algernon knows his best pal only by the name of
"Ernest." And he, too, has a make-belief friend named Bundbury, whom
he visits when in pursuit of his rakish agenda.
Matters get complicated when Jack (AKA Ernest) professes his love
for Gwendolen and she for him, only to be rebuked and turned down by
the imperial presence of Lady Bracknell, who questions his unusual
background. Never mind that he is wealthy as sin! No daughter of
hers will marry a man who has no knowledge of his parents--a man who
was discovered, as a baby, in a shopping bag at Victoria Station!
During this hilarious confrontation, Algernon overhears the
location of his friend's country home and rushes there in the guise
of Ernest, Jack's bad-boy city brother.
The plot thickens, as everyone who's seen Wilde's classic farce
well knows, when Cecily and Algernon/Ernest fall instantly in love in
spite of Jack's adamant protests. Needless to say, the madness
remains as delightful as ever when performed by an outstanding
ensemble that knows what it's doing.
There's always a subplot in any farce worth its salt; and this
one concerns Miss Prism, Cecily's spinster governess, who has a yen
for the country cleric, Rev. Chasuble. Both of them are past their
prime, broad in the beam, and sappy as teenagers when in each other's
presence. As performed by Amelia White and Richard Doyle, they are a
hoot-and-a-half.
"I have put all my genius into my life; I have put only my talent
into my work," said Wilde. Judging from the success of his
inestimable body of work and the tragic end of his life, perhaps
those categories should be reversed.
"The Importance of Being Ernest" continues at South Coast
Repertory, 655 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa; Tues.-Sun. through
March 9. For tickets, times, or more information call (714) 708-5555
or go on line at http://www.scr.org