The Importance of Being Earnest

Tag : Leisure Hat

BUS BARN proves that across the pond and a century later, OscarWilde's irreverent look at English society can still be funny. The Importance of Being Earnest , a parlor comedy of the most trivial sort, tells of two bachelorswith secret identities that serve as an escape hatch from thedemands of social appearances.
"In matters of grave importance, style, not sincerity, is the vitalthing," boasts Lady Bracknell's daughter, Gwendolen (ShannonStowe), one of the play's two hopeful brides-to-be. Whileencouraging friend Jack "Ernest" Worthing (John Romano) to proposeto cousin Gwendolen, Algernon (Jeff Clarke) plots to meet Jack'sward, Cecily Cardew (Sarah Cook). But each of the men must get pastthe young women's guardians. For Jack, the obstacle is LadyBracknell (Wendy Howard-Benham); for Algernon, as it turns out,it's Jack.
Director Barbara J. Cannon's creative attention to detail keeps theaction hilarious, bringing Wilde's humor to full bloom. Romano'shangdog Jack spits out a mouthful of hat feather as he tries tokiss Gwendolen. The self-loving Gwendolen (who boasts, "I almostalways speak when others are speaking") makes a grandiose flourishwith her arm, and Cecily has to duck quickly. Lady Bracknell holdsher hand out to Cecily for a formal kiss, and the country girlbypasses it to kiss the aghast lady on the cheek. The scene inwhich Algy and Jack fight like siblings over a tray of muffinsescalates perfectly into a riotous final kick.
The production's silky smooth pacing neither hurries nor flounders.Lady Bracknell moves with deliberation, laboriously dabbing herface when flustered, gradually drawing out her spectacles toinspect Cecily. "Your hair is almost as nature left it," sheremarks disapprovingly. Many Lady Bracknells speak as blowhards orfools, unaware of the humor in their own statements—"He was aman of peace, except in his domestic life." Howard-Benham speaks asa formidable woman with a withering scowl. She represents the voiceof her times, as Wilde would have relished her. However humorouslytwisted her logic, she must be reckoned with.
Howard-Benham's Bracknell shows humor in her own right, leaving thelaughable pomposity of the leisure class to her nephew Algernon.Clarke's lovable Algernon is exceedingly funny. Despite hints ofthe traditionally debonair (Rupert Everett–type) Algernon,Clarke's shit-eating grins, his balletic stances, his ebullientdress, those curls in the middle of his forehead, all present himas a pampered and puerile Toad of Toad Hall. Though Clarke's Algyis not Toad-portly, when he doubles his chin you can see poundagein his prospects.