By Kathryn Olsen
For a limited time, the Highland City Community Center is being transformed into an idyllic country manor for Highland City Arts’ The Importance of Being Earnest. This classic of 19th Century comedy by Oscar Wilde first premiered in London on Valentine’s Day, 1895, but has been adapted extensively on stage, screen, and even the airwaves since. I eagerly accepted the offer to see this production, as I grew up with an audio recording, but have not seen any adaptations in years.
The play itself is a comedy of romantic errors centering around two best friends. John ‘Ernest’ Worthing (Jake Earnest) hopes to marry Gwendolen Fairfax (Rebecca Lambert) while his best friend Algernon Moncrieff (Devin Spann) schemes to woo Ernest’s ward Cecily (Hayley Warner). Things are complicated by the interference of Gwendolyn’s mother, Cecily’s governess, and a capacious handbag left at Victoria Station. The resulting plot is one that only Wilde could concoct and is as timeless as it is hilarious.
While the play hinges on romantic entanglements, the leading men are best described as having a bromance. Earnest and Spann play off of each other with affectionate joviality and easy fraternity. Spann excels at moments of understated physical humor, such as inconveniently placing himself between two lovebirds. Earnest fluctuates between his impetuous side and the stern aspect of a guardian. Their best moments are expressed when they are obviously and genuinely caught off-guard by each other.
Lambert and Warner similarly shine in their interactions with each other, but are flawlessly cast for their respective quirks. Warner is a veteran of nearly forty productions, but flits intelligently and effortlessly through the ironic dialogue of Cecily as if she were a mere 18-year-old. Lambert’s character has moments of hilarious drama, but has undeniable presence on stage and presence of mind that makes her a perfect fit for Earnest’s stubborn manner.
The driving force behind the plot and the character interactions is Lady Bracknell, played to great effect by Lora Beth Brown. The audience can recognize that Brown has experience as a former teacher, but she plays Bracknell with a subtle force of being frighteningly set in her ways. At times, she seems to understand far too much about the way society truly works, but this satire is almost under the radar rather than played up for laughs.
The three minor characters are cast well. We are delighted by Dr. Chasuble (Ryan Hopkins), who excels in his brief appearances at giving the impression of a man who knows relatively little about a great many things. Miss Prism (Amy Peterson), the governess, is a constant source of quiet amusement in both her delivery and mannerisms. And finally, Rich Perkins plays both the butlers Lane and Merriman, but might as well have been two different actors. He is sardonic as one and impersonal as the other and it’s wonderful to watch.
This ensemble of eight works very well together because they move through the humor without drawing attention to it and deliver the lines so clearly that none of the dialogue is missed. The audience on opening night was in hysterics at several points throughout the show, but every actor is immersed in the on-stage experience. This is particularly impressive given that a post-performance discussion revealed that the scene in which Spann and Earnest converse while eating their way steadily through a number of muffins had never been rehearsed all the way through without collapsing into laughter.
Producer Angela Dell and Director Regan Whimpey have assembled a phenomenal production while clearly allowing their cast to develop genuine chemistry on their own. The costume design by Marianne Jensen is period-appropriate and wonderfully elaborate, from Cecily’s whimsical lace dress to Lady Bracknell’s oversized hats. The lighting and sound by Celeste Burns are quite appropriate to the small theater. Stage Manager AndraLee Allen capitalizes on the setting by employing the space to convey a comfortable home life in the country as well as Algie’s London flat.
Highland City Arts’ The Importance of Being Earnest has a mere three performances left and it would be an absolute shame to miss it, so if you must go bunburying to do so, hurry over to the Highland City Community Center for an unforgettable night. It is suitable for all ages.
Highland City Arts presents The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde.
Highland City Community Center, 5378 W 10400 N Highland, UT 84003
February 28-March 4, 2019 7:00 PM
Tickets: $6-8 ($25 for a family of up to 5)
Contact: m.me/highlandcityartscouncil
Highland City Arts Facebook Page
The Importance of Being Earnest Facebook Page
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