"The Importance of Being Earnest"
A Review by Jane O'Neil for ACTion!
When one is looking for a witty comment, it is smart to look to Oscar Wilde for some assistance. He is often quoted, and his play, "The Importance of Being Earnest," is spiced with many clever lines. The Poway Performing Arts Company staged its production of this classic in a charmingly refurbished Golden West Academy.
The play concerns a rather immature young man who invents a brother of tainted reputation to provide a cover for some of his questionable activities. While discussing this fiction, his friend states that he has been doing the same thing for years under the guise of an ailing friend called Bunberry. As you might imagine, the deceptions eventually lead to complications in their relationships. Along the way there are wonderful opportunities for Wilde to make disdainful observations on the state of the human condition.
Director Steve Rivette selected a suitable cast to portray the frothy characters. Under his capable hand, the play moved along smoothly with excellent pacing. An ambitious crew constructed three separate sets, which helped set the tone for the play. At times it was difficult to determine the period, due to the eclectic set decoration. (I understand that sometimes this is due to the constraint of limited resources.) Diana Smith was responsible for the design, and used the space wisely, enabling the cast to move about gracefully.
Jim Payton was a superior choice as the lead, John Worthing. Nose in the air, an aura of superiority, and a stuffy attitude were superbly unveiled. His height only added to the supercillious impression. Later, after the deception is uncovered, he also shows some vulnerability and actually becomes likeable.
A puckish Don Hillaker performed as Algernon Moncrieff. He was wonderful to watch. His movements were smooth and his lines were delivered with a practiced finish. He was a perfect foil for John Worthy.
Brenda Robinson assumed the role of Lady Bracknell, mother of the eligible maiden, and was suitably blunt and to the point. She strutted and flounced and was as overbearing as the part demanded, in the end getting more than she had anticipated, tapering to the happy mother of the bride-to-be. The wit and wisdom of Oscar Wilde are included in the part of Lady Bracknell and were delivered by Brenda Robinson with style and elan.
Doreen Jacobs, an accomplished actress, portrayed Gwendolyn Fairfax, the daughter of Lady Bracknell, with definition and confidence.
The role of Cecily Cardew, the young, attractive ward of John Worthy, as ably played by Vanessa Wasyleczenko. She was a bright spot, suitably ingenuous.
A genuine treat was the character of Miss Prism, played by Irene Billingsley. The governess for Cecily, enamoured of the Reverend, flitted about coquettishly, and delivered her lines with skill and a real feel for her character.
Another treat was the amusing depiction of the disapproving servant, Merriman, by Dave Hibbler. He made the most of a very small part, using graphic and exaggerated facial expressions to detail his feelings about what was transpiring.
Danny Morris, as the Rev. Chasuble, D.D., was blustery and all-knowing, and though his visual appearance and movement were good, several of his lines were lost due to fast delivery. John Gender completed the cast as the usual stuffy butler, Lane.
Costuming for this period piece, by Janet Russell and America Evering, was uneven. Some of the costumes were exceptional, e.g. those worn by Cecily, Miss Prism and Algy. However, the costuming for John Worthing was almost distracting, and one of Lady Bracknell's costumes was not quite polished enough for her role. Again, I understand the constraints of a small theater group, but I felt that it was a diverting influence.
Make-up was generally excellent. However, in the first act, Algy's make-up was much too white. Gail Miller and Darlene Rivette were the make-up artists.
Lighting on the stage was very good, but I was sitting in the front row and felt there was too much spillover into the audience. (This flaw can probably be attributed to the physical limitatins of the space itself, rather than to inadequate lighting design - Ed.)
Overall, PowPAC put on a good show. The audience loved it and walked away with a good feeling. All's well with the world when the play ends, happily.
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