Oscar Wilde’s “Importance of Being Earnest” is the exemplary perfect play. It is exactly what it wants to be. This perfection can make the play a difficult thing to produce: such comedies of precision leave little margin for error. Last week’s Second Stage production of the show, while not without its flaws, showcased the talent of a large group of underclass Wesleyan actors who are not only game enough, but also clever and enthusiastic enough to take up the challenge of performing this great work. Such a group of actors bodes well for the Wesleyan playgoer’s future.
“The Importance of Being Earnest,” for those who have not had the pleasure of reading or seeing it, concerns the misadventures of two idle London bachelors, Algernon (Alex Fishman ’07) and Jack (Tristan Chirico ’06). Jack’s primary residence is in the countryside but he has invented a wicked brother, Ernest, as an excuse to go into the city and have sinful fun without his pretty young ward Cecily (Jeni Morrison ’07) finding out. When in the city, Jack uses the name “Ernest” to conceal his identity…and to snag the woman of his fancy. See, Jack (or “Ernest”) is in love with Algy’s cousin Gwendolen (Emma Alpert ’04), a young woman who, living in “an age of ideals,” knows she could only love a man named Ernest.
In the first scene of the play, however, Algy discovers “Ernest’s” true name and the existence of his ward. He later sneaks off to the country to meet her—masquerading as Jack’s imaginary brother Ernest. Cecily has long been in love from afar with this mythical prodigal brother, and she especially adores his name. When “Ernest” finally appears at her home, they become engaged within an hour. The plot thickens when Gwendolen arrives to visit Jack. After the most genteel British catfight, she and Cecily realize they have both been had. Their resolve is as stiff as their upper lips: they will marry none but an Ernest. Jack and Algy plan to get christened as such when the plot curdles: Lady Bracknell (Rachel Salowitz ’07) arrives. She is Gwendolen’s mother, and in Act I forbade her engagement to Jack after he revealed that he does not know who his parents are. Revelations, and coincidence of the highest order, naturally ensue.
Directed by Michael Lavigne, Jr. ’07, the cast and crew were mostly frosh. The entire cast showed great talent and handled the ornate language with dexterity. It was a particular pleasure seeing Chirico, who played Wilde himself quite convincingly in last semester’s “Gross Indecency”, take a turn as one of the playwright’s most interesting characters.
“’Gross Indecency’ was a big revelation,” Chirico said, who cites Wilde as a long-time personal hero. “I saw that this incredibly funny guy had such an incredibly painful life. It really opened my eyes to a very different kind of interpretation of his humor. It made me feel a lot more sympathy for his characters…He has such passion, and compassion.”
Chirico seemed even more at ease on stage here than he did in his previous role. He was remarkably at home with his character and with the language; when he first came on stage, the play truly began.
Morrison made a perfectly winsome Cecily; though one wishes a sharper contrast had been drawn between her and her caretakers, as Cecily is by design a girl out of her element. Stuck in the country with her simple governess Miss Prism (Sarah Montgomery ’06) and the naïve pastor Dr. Chasuble (Seth Cohen ’07), she dreams of bigger things, writing in her diary of misadventures with a mysterious man named Ernest—indeed, that is why the romance with the incorrigible Algy actually works. Morrison brought all this to the table, but no one else seemed to notice. Cohen was charming and appropriately light as Chasuble, though it was confusing and inexcusable that he was forced to wear a tuxedo. The show’s butlers, Lane (Chris Krovatin ’07) and Merriman (Joseph John Sanchez III ’07) put a lot of presence into, and got a lot of humor out of, their relatively small roles.
Salowitz had perhaps the most challenging role as the gorgon Lady Bracknell, whose humor treads a tightrope between dull and overbearing. She wisely erred, when she erred, towards the latter, and in Act III simply nailed it. It didn’t hurt that she appeared in an incredible lavender frilled costume complete with parasol and hat (aside from the tuxedo, the costumes by Erika Ikeda ’06 did remarkably well for a period show). The initially mixed quality of Salowitz’s performance is most likely due to the fact that, while her Act III appearance was in a group scene, her Act I role was largely one-on-one. In general, the show’s two-person scenes fell flat compared to the larger ones (with the exception of the aforementioned catfight). The funniest scenes by far were the gender battles and revelations of Acts II and III.
The tone of the show as a whole, however, was somewhat off the mark. The play’s humor lies in how seriously its absurd characters take themselves, but at times one or two of the actors seemed to think they were doing stand-up, laughing at their own jokes and posing on punchlines. For this reason, the acts that relied on external events and coincidence more than on clever banter fared better than the first. Additionally, some actors had the habit of falling back onto the same postures and mannerisms—hands always on the hips in one case, or clasped in another, or arms always folded. These are all common mistakes that a director can easily fix.
Something must now be said about sound design. While it is a dying art at Wesleyan, the soundtrack at least has seen a revival this year, thanks in no small part to Max Goldblatt’s virtuoso design for “Want’s Unwisht Work.” “Earnest,” however, flubbed the pre-show music entirely. It may seem like a small point, but, as the name implies, pre-show music sets the tone for the entire show. This playlist was a mishmash of songs ranging from Disney to Baha Boys, not only failing to get an audience in the mood for Oscar Wilde but also running the risk of annoying them. The piano interlude with which Algernon is supposed to begin the play was replaced with a Beatles’ song, and as there was no further attempt at modernization within the show, this started things off on a confusing note.
The evening was a mixed bag, but the facts remain: the audience was treated to an unveiling of new talent, and the glimpse was auspicious. The actors, as well as the characters, produced revelations and surprises. If we are fortunate, we will see more from all of them in the future.
THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST by Oscar Wilde; directed by Michael Lavigne, Jr. ’06; stage manager Raomej Caro ’07; light design by Greg Malen ’07; scenic design by Christopher A. Dieck ’07; costume design by Erika Ikeda ’06; props by Jenine Almahdi ’07.
WITH Emma Alpert ’04 (Gwendolen), Tristan Chirico ’06 (Jack), Seth Cohen ’07 (Dr. Chasuble), Alexander Gavin Fishman ’07 (Algernon), Chris Krovatin ’07 (Lane), Sarah Montgomery ’06 (Miss Prism), Jeni Morrison ’07 (Cecily), Rachel Salowitz ’07 (Lady Bracknell), Joseph John Sanchez, III ’07 (Merriman).
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