Girls never marry the men that they flirt with! Unless they’re flirting with a handbag! There’s something to be said for a tried and true chestnut of the stage. Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest, in its originality, is tried and true and presently on the stage at Greenbelt Arts Center under the direction of Stephen Cox. Humorous, salty, and often silly— the three best things one could want for a period comedy of romance and frivolity— this production is charming and well-paced and will tickle your fancy whether you’re new to Wilde and his wondrous strange notions of romantic comedies or cherish his work with great fondness.
While the set is a little simple (and not simple in the sense that it’s lacking— the construction of the set is solid and there definitely is a set, as opposed to the more minimalistic approach that some productions are taking these days…and also it appears uncredited in the program, so it is to be presumed it is the machinations of director Stephen Cox) it serves its purpose. The stark white does leave one wondering at what Cox might have been intending for this period comedy, given how lavish-looking the costumes are. Linda Swann, heading up the show’s sartorial selection, has done a fine job of outfitting each of the eight players with their various togs, particularly the striking burnt sienna and purple-blue-brown accent overlay of the jacket/overdress on Lady Bracknell in the third act. Gwendolen’s ruby dress is also quite breathtaking and very ‘of the time.’
The show’s overall aesthetic, sterile white back-set aside— though to the phantom-scenic-designer’s credit there is a set of French doors that is well-used during the second act at Jack Worthing’s home to show poor Merryman going back and forth with the luggage cart to much comedic effect…and more cleverly used when the third act arrives as the garden boxes and furnishings are flipped to make it appear as if the outdoor garden scene can now be viewed from the home’s interior— works well for the show as a whole. This includes the aforementioned costumes by Linda Swann as well as the illuminations created by Lighting Designer Stephen Duda. The lights are balanced, creating a gentle sense of ‘indoors verses outdoors’ and helps the audience to know for certain where the characters are when they are having their various interactions.
Add to that a handy stage manager, Valerie Mikles, and the show stays on target with both its humors and its pacing. (And the intermissions, two are necessary for the scenic transitions, are tightly focused.) And Penny Martin’s instrumental sound effects should be praised. Though used sparingly, Martin’s sound design is quite effective when and where it’s placed, with great strategy, throughout the three acts of the play. Director Stephen Cox delivers a well-paced performance with a good balance on the humors of Wilde’s work. (This isn’t the high-octane farce adaptation by Kate Hamill that’s making the rounds on the boards in the area as of late so comedic balance is still quite necessary to make the play work.)
Ultimately it’s a textbook performance of The Importance of Being Earnest, with nearly everyone existing inside of the ‘rom-com-bubble’ circa the late 19th century, and falling into the patois, cadence, and overall vocal affectations expected of the Victorian-era nonsensically humorous piece that Oscar Wilde is known for. The exception to this is the actor playing Algernon Moncrieff. Lucian Clarkewallis, while no stranger to the stage and perfectly capable of possessing a spirited accent of some vaguely familiar English variety, floats just out of sync with the rest of the performers on stage. And while Clarkewallis delivers a more than serviceable performance in the role of Algernon, often times quite humorously too— earning a great many chuckles and titters from the audience— Clarkewallis feels as if he’s landed the character in 2024, posing as a period drama actor reenacting a Victorian era comedy. It isn’t a poor performance, just a noticeably modern one, by comparison to the way the others dance deftly with their tongues through the laborious dialogue exchanges that Wilde has so willfully penned into the script. Clarkewallis has some rather zippy one-liners worth noting, particularly when eating cucumber sandwiches and fussing about muffins.
Chris Dullnig who soodles about the stage as Merriman (and pulls double-duty as Lane at this performance in the absence of Nathan Rosen) is quite the site-gagging performer, even though most of his ‘action moments’ of comedy are seen through the French doors and are meant to be somewhat of a comedic Easter egg. One of the delightful bonuses about Dullnig’s performance is his splendid mustache, which truly makes the character an over-exaggeration of the serving-class for this period piece.
While Miss Prism (Cathy Barth) and Rev. Canon Chasuble D.D. (Stuart Fischer) are not introduced until the second act and scarcely seen in the third, both are wildly animated of face and voice in their respective roles. Barth in particularly has noteworthy facial expressions, particularly when expressing varying states of ‘being aghast.’ And the whole bellow-down-face-off between Barth and the Lady Bracknell character is a whooping, hollering good time, especially as Barth all but cowers and topples over in the intense presence of the aforementioned Lady B. Fischer holds a commanding presence all his own, flitty and pleasing, in the role of the good reverend, particularly when attempting to spirit Miss Prism away for an unchaperoned walk up and down the lane.
They shall indeed call one another sister— Miss Cecily Cardew (Celia Richardson) and the Honorable Gwendolen Fairfax (Jenn Robinson)— though not before calling each other a whole host of other things first. The pair could not be more opposite in their portrayals of their respective young ingenue characters, which makes for a delightfully bristling and bombastic implosion once they come together during the infamous garden-tea-scene. Robinson is stiff, intentionally haughty, and carries her character’s airs and graces with exquisite necessity. Very mindful. Very demure. So when she bites, barbs, and plays the verbal-boxing-match opposite Richardson’s Cecily, it’s hilarious. Richardson, who is meant to be just barely 18, is impetuous, bouncy, flighty, and delightfully spirited. The pair are perfect opposite their respective gentlemen callers and their facial expressions are on-point for the exaggerated comedic nature of the show as a whole. Even from their first interaction with one another, where Robinson’s character is gassing on at the mouth over introductions and Richardson fails thrice over to be able to take her seat— their timing, keen understanding of how to navigate the pending verbal cat-fight, and overall relation to one another is extraordinary.
While it has oft been the trend to cast a male-identifying actor as the insufferably wild Lady Bracknell, Sarah Schauffer is hands down all but stealing this show with her antics, her overall outrageous performance, and her withering looks that could readily take out half the cast. There is a je ne sais quoi about Schauffer’s interpretation of the character that just has you believing she has not only embodied this fusty-gorgon-harpy-of-a-character but also perhaps eaten the shrieking aunt for breakfast, re-digested her for lunch, and is fully prepared to belch her up alongside all the fire-and-brimstone she rains down upon the Miss Prism character, by supper time. She’s an uproarious hoot and you simply won’t be able to peel your eyes away from her interactions every time she’s on the stage— everything from the way she speaks to the way she moves and the looks she rockets across the play-space to each character as she dresses them down. Schauffer is a radiant gem in this characterization and makes Lady Bracknell one of, if not the most, funniest character on stage.
Taking the thunder back from Schauffer, as John-Jack-Earnest Worthing is in more scene work thanks to Wilde’s clever pen, Michael McCarthy is a radiant and most resplendent comedic actor in this performance. With perfection in both vocal patois and cadence, not to mention the flawlessly slick accent that befits the ‘Earnest’ character most agreeably, McCarthy is a vivacious lightning bolt that is utterly mesmerizing and captivating. Facial expressions are heightened with full animation (something that seems to be par for the course when it comes to this merry bunch of theatermakers) and an overall intense spatial awareness of both his character and those around him, there aren’t enough impressive praises to throw at McCarthy for this striking performance. And he’s applause-worthy for all of the fits he throws, even if Cecily’s fits are more tantrum like and thus more physically exhausting to watch.
Amuse yourself with this delightful romp of a comedic entertainment. Catch The Importance of Being Earnest this November at Greenbelt Arts Center, you shan’t be disappointed!
Running Time: Approximately 2 hours and 30 minutes with two intermissions
The Importance of Being Earnest plays through November 16th 2024 at Greenbelt Arts Center— 123 Centerway in downtown Greenbelt, MD. For tickets call the box office at 301-441-8770 or purchase them online.
