I’m all for fresh takes on the classics.
If you can bring something new and illuminating to Antigone by setting it in World War I, have at it. If you can take Death of a Salesman, and by setting it in present-day Detroit discover something we have heretofore overlooked, go for it. If you think you can plumb new depths by restyling Shakespeare’s As You Like It as though it were a piece of Kabuki theater, then be my guest.
But you better make damn sure it works.
Arizona Theatre Company has opened its season with what has been touted as a “fresh” take on Oscar Wilde’s perennially popular The Importance of Being Earnest. The play is about as perfect as a comedy of manners could be. Wilde’s wonderfully drawn characters; his playful, clever and wicked use of language; and his satiric spin on late Victorian English culture have endured as one of the most produced English-language plays, in spite of its abbreviated run when it was first produced in London in 1895.
Indeed, there are some fresh and sassy elements in director Stephen Wrentmore’s version of Wilde’s most revered play. But there are also some pretty big missteps in his search for New and Different that call to mind the term “lead balloon.” Although there is surely enough of the wonder of Wilde to set this vessel aloft, the flight is almost grounded by the leaden nature of some woefully misguided choices.
It was Wilde’s intention to write an artful piece of whimsy, with no particular meaning or moral. This was in keeping with his ideal of aestheticism, a school of thought that asserted, contrary to widely held views of the day, that art did not exist to influence the public good. Essentially, it’s the art for art’s sake thing. In fact, the subtitle of Earnest is “A Trivial Play for Serious People.” It is satiric, but its satire is the byproduct of a bright, witty, well-put-together story in which Wilde creates charmingly languid characters of dubious identity, bound up in a most improbable story told in deliciously devilish dialogue.
Wrentmore and his cast preserve the splendid eloquence of Wilde’s language and wickedly convoluted story. London-based Algernon (Matt Leisy) hangs with his friend Jack (Loren Dunn), who has claimed to his relations on his rural estate that he has a reprobate brother, Ernest, in London, whom he must continually bail out of trouble. This allows him to escape the country when he desires more lively activity. While in London he has become smitten with the lovely Gwendolen (Anneliese Van Der Pol), who is attracted to him chiefly because his name is Ernest, which, of course, it is not. She is the daughter of the imposing Lady Bracknell (Allyce Beasley), who frowns upon the idea of marriage because Jack/Ernest has no identifiable lineage. When Algernon finds that Jack/Ernest has a young charge named Cicely (Heather Marie Cox), he drops in unannounced at the rural estate, claiming to be Ernest, Jack’s “brother” from London, and woos Cicely, who is attracted to him because his name is Ernest—which, of course, it isn’t. It’s all a charming mess, especially when Gwendolen appears, but it all gets sorted out in clever, ridiculous hilarity.
Wrentmore and set designer Yoon Bae (who also designed the fabulous costumes) create a much less stuffy environment for the story than one often sees in productions of Earnest. Algernon’s drawing room in London is no Victorian heavy-with-wood-and-tapestries setup. It’s a chiefly monochromatic, deco-inspired, airy great room that is absolutely consistent with the Algernon that Leisy creates, which is also a departure from how we often see Algernon portrayed. Leisy’s Algy is a flamboyant, overdressed, high-class rascal, flashy but not effeminate, quick of wit and ready to pounce on any opportunity to cause a bit of good-natured trouble. It’s a refreshing take on the character.
Dunn does a fine job as Jack, countering Algernon’s flashiness with more substance, and they play well with each other. Van Der Pol’s Gwendolen is wonderful, a smart, high-spirited woman who is not above stepping outside expected boundaries to get what she wants. Cox’s Cicely is a precocious and impetuous, mostly sweet young lady who can mix it up when necessary, and the scene in which she and Gwendolen share tea is comically rich. (Although, the high-pitched voices that both of these actors find for their characters make the scene sound like conversation between a couple of Minnie Mouse impersonators. Ouch.)
So far, so good. Then there’s Lady Bracknell. This is one of the richest women’s roles in dramatic literature. It has been played by the likes of Edith Evans, Judi Dench, Maggie Smith and Joan Plowright. Bracknell has also been portrayed by men, most famously of late by Brian Bedford, who was nominated for a Tony Award in 2011. Bracknell is described by a character as a “gorgon.” She’s imperious, self-righteous and used to getting her way. There are myriad ways an actor can embody these qualities. But the character we see onstage at ATC is a complete mystery to me. I think the choice to go this way—and I’m not even sure how to describe what “this way” is—was conscious. But trying a new spin is risky, and this attempt falls flat. If nothing else, when Bracknell enters the stage, she should fill it. When Beasley, who is a well-respected and practiced actor, enters, all the energy flees the room. Oh my.
There are a couple of other turns imposed by Wrentmore that don’t really work, and feel really un-Earnest-y, but even so, the sheer fun and fancy of Wilde’s creation cannot be totally dampened. Fresh looks by a director can often yield surprising results, but it would be wise for those looking anew at Wilde’s wonderful play to remember that whatever the new spin, it’s important that it be true to Earnest.
This article appears in Sep 26 – Oct 2, 2013.
Well, that was an annoying review. First the author complains about this huge misstep by the director that dooms this production and then say nothing about that misstep. I guess you’re trying to drum up business with reverse psychology–Come see this play, not for the terrific performance outlined but, for the one really misguided terrible interpretation of the most dominant character.
it is interesting how the people in the press, especially bush league press that nobody gives a —- about, can come up with these amazing reviews, critical thinking, and profound judgements. but then again, all of these bush league journalist didn’t make in the field they are writing about, did they.
In my opinion, this production was fabulous. I fell in love with the directing choices made by Stephen Wrentmore and for the most part agreed with the way the characters were played. Stephen’s additions to the already-fun play such as the addition of the Beastie Boys and Guns N’ Roses only enhanced my enjoyment of the play. The “modern” additions accurately underscored the most fun elements of the play and perfectly complemented the overall theme and mood. Placed where they were, they also could not help but re-invigorate the audience for the exciting conclusion of the play. In her review on the Arizona Daily Star, Kathy Allen calls the modifications “gratuitous and anachronistic,” saying that they “seemed to be there for no other reason than to attempt to put a contemporary spin on the play .” She then goes on to say that “the thing about “Earnest” is, it doesn’t need spin.” I heartily disagree with Ms. Allen. I believe that theater was not meant to be taken strictly by the script-if that was so, why would we as theater goers go to see a play more than once, whether put on by the same company or a different one? It would be the exact same performance. I believe that scripts can and should be played with, especially with so playful a playwright such as Oscar Wilde. I do not think that the additions distracted from my enjoyment of the performance; rather, they added to it. Sherilyn Forrester of Tucson Weekly added that “whatever the new spin, it’s important that it be true to Earnest” which I believe Stephen was, in keeping with the fun spirit of Oscar Wilde. In addition, I very much enjoyed the characters in Earnest and thought that for the most part, they were wonderfully portrayed. Algernon, Jack, Cecily, and Gwendolyn had all found that character spark that manifests itself internally as well as externally that really determines whether the actor is the character or whether they are playing the character. However, I did not enjoy Lady Bracknell’s performance nearly as much. The character to me felt flat and unexciting-the lines were delivered painfully slowly, the cues were a beat behind, the accent was not enjoyable, and the characteristic spark was lacking. I very much agree with Ms. Forrester when she reports that “this attempt falls flat” because “when [Bracknell]…enters, all the energy flees the room.” I think this is an accurate description because I found Lady Bracknell’s portrayal to be just flat.
The technical aspects of this play were glorious. The set, lights, sound, and costumes were so cleverly done and gorgeously rendered that it was hard not to just stare at them. The costumes were beautiful examples of nineteenth century Victorian wear, and the set took a creative spin on the classical Victorian decorations while still staying true to the Victorian spirit and perfectly exemplifying the overarching themes of the show. One of the most creative aspects of the set was the rotating fan that was hand-painted like a peacock feather that sunk into the stage at the end of Act I. It reflected the aristocratic peacock theme of the script and the production while being a marvelously clever work of set design. I agree with Ms. Allen when she says that the production “looks beautiful.” It definitely does.
In conclusion, I would wholeheartedly recommend this play to a friend. I believe that this production does a great job and retaining the original fun, jovial spirit of Oscar Wilde while incorporating even more fun aspects in order to increase the audience’s enjoyment of the play. The technical aspects are gorgeous, creating a production that is pleasurable to look at, and the acting and directing choices are almost all spot on. I would most definitely say to go see The Importance of Being Earnest!