Delightful `Earnest' brings Wilde's wit to Houston stage
Well, this critic thinks she understands it, and she likes what she understands.
Wilde himself called "the first act ingenious, the second beautiful and the third abominably clever." The Alley's rendition is certainly all of those things.
Once again, artistic director Gregory Boyd and the Alley Theatre Company have done a bang-up job of bringing a fabulous script to the stage. The Alley's 100th anniversary production of Wilde's "trivial comedy for serious people" does full justice to the fin-de-siecle author's genius.
The play reveals Wilde's gifts for comic technique, artistic credo and subtle social commentary. The playwright began the British tradition of high silliness that Noel Coward, Monty Python and "Absolutely Fabulous" have carried on. Wilde's wildly witty verbal play is brilliant but difficult to execute properly. A lesser theater company would not have executed the production with the trivial seriousness it requires.
The incredibly charming play turns on misunderstandings and the double meaning of the name Earnest. The clever, complex plot follows Algernon Moncrieff (Jeffrey Bean) and Jack Worthing (James Black), two conniving bachelors, as they woo their beloved young women, Cecily Cardew (Monica Koskey) and Gwendolen Fairfax (Shelley Williams).
As the effervescent Algernon, Jeffrey Bean displays remarkable comic talent. Bean exudes energy and plays Algy for all he's worth. His confused looks are charming, and his muffin-fighting skills are truly hilarious.
Shelley Williams plays a tremendous Gwendolen. At times she's a porcelain-doll caricature of the refined Victorian young lady. At times she's flirtatious, and at others she's outraged at being served tea-cake. Her voice has a wonderful cadence, and her character is simply charming.
Cecily Cardew comes to life as Monica Koskey takes the stage. At first, she seems slightly stiff, but it doesn't take her long to fall comfortably into her role. It's a pleasure watching her tease Algernon and write coyly in her diary. She and Williams both portray jealous and slighted women remarkably well, and the scene where the two bond is a comedic triumph.
Gordana Ras-hovich as Lady Bracknell delivers her lines like a true aristocrat and commands the stage with her presence. The actress has a marvelous gift for deadpanning lines like "To lose one parent may be regarded as a misfortune -- to lose both seems like carelessness."
If one must find a weak link in the cast, it would be James Black as Jack. The character appears too copacetic amidst his fiery companions. At times, he speaks too quickly and some lines get lost, especially when the audience laughs. Other than that, nothing is exactly wrong with his performance, but compared to the larger-than-life, over-the-top characters with whom he shares the stage, he fades into the background.
The curious casting choices also merit slight criticism. The Alley Company doesn't exactly suffer from a dearth of talent, but the assignments seem like the pickings were slim.
The actors all do well in assuming their characters' personalities, but some are simply the wrong age for their roles. James Black looks too old to be the 29-year-old Jack, and Gordana Rashovich looks too young to be Lady Fairfax. When Rashovich and Williams enter together, it isn't immediately clear which woman is Algernon's aunt and which is the object of his affections.
But this is a minor criticism of a fabulous production. Typical of Alley shows, The Importance of Being Earnest boasts a beautifully clever set (by Tony Straiges) and absolutely exquisite costumes (by Susan Tsu).
The Alley offers Public Rush tickets at half of the usual $16 to $42 for all shows except Friday and Saturday nights. In addition, there will be "Pay What You Want" (at least $2) performances Nov. 11 at 2:30 and Nov. 12 at 7:30 (Call the box office at 228-8421 for details).
Especially at those prices, The Importance of Being Earnest is definitely a show worth seeing. It may not be perfect, and it won't reveal the ultimate meaning of life, but, as Algernon Moncrieff says, "It is perfectly phrased, and quite as true as any observation in civilized life should be."
This item appeared in the Arts & Entertainment section of the November 3, 1995 issue.
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