The Importance Of Being Earnest at Centerpoint Legacy Theatre

My friend, Amy, and I just attended a production of The Importance of Being Earnest, at Centerpoint Legacy Theatre.

Megan Smythe, Alison Jensen, and Jon Rash

I have long been a fan of Oscar Wilde and his work, ever since my aunt gave me a collection of his plays, for Christmas one year. "Earnest" is one of my favorite plays. I have of course seen the movie with Reese Witherspoon, Rupert Everett, Collin Firth, Frances O'Connor, and Judi Dench. I have also seen this play done by Pioneer Theatre Company.

This production was done in the blackbox theatre, meaning there is no elevated stage, and no set proscenium. The front row of the audience was right on the same floor as the performance. It created a very cozy intimacy, and the actors did not need microphones.

The first character to appear onstage was Lane the butler, played by Joseph Nichols. Joseph was able to adopt the posture of a very old man, and his mannerisms were slow and deliberate. Later in the show, he played a completely different butler, named Merriman. This time, he carried himself with the posture and mannerisms of a younger man. I was impressed that he was able to show two completely distinct characters, despite both parts being butlers.

Next onstage was Algernon, played by Justin Lee, who I immediately liked as the devilish rogue. He had this mischievous grin. It was clear that he didn't take life very seriously, and yet life always worked out for him. Todd Wente was very likeable as John Worthing (a.k.a. Jack, a.k.a. Earnest). I enjoyed his frustration with his friend Algie, and he was hilarious as the grieving brother.

My friend, Megan, played the part of Gwendolyn. She was perfect as the ridiculously-romantic Victorian lady! Her reactions on stage, even when she was not speaking were priceless. I particularly enjoyed it when Mr. Worthing was kissing her glove. She sort of got distracted with what she was saying, pausing mid-sentence as she revelled in the sensations. It really played up the "repressed Victorian", and made me remember how much little silly things can turn you on, when you're an unmarried virgin. Megan is a really fantastic actress!

Another thing I liked was the "spat" between Gwendolyn and Cecily. In other productions, I have seen the ladies quietly sipping their tea, while arguing with gritted-teeth smiles at each other. In this one, the director had the two standing and both leaning against the table. The tension between them you could have cut with a knife, and the butler clearly didn't want to come between them. I really liked seeing them lose their cool a bit and forget their manners.

Allyson Sanders was adorable as Cecily. She portrayed an innocence and naivety, and was very charming. I enjoyed Kristi Colaizzi as Miss Prism and her attraction to Dr. Chasuble, played by Ken Hadlock. Ken was a charming priest. Everyone in this cast did a very good job, and were fun to watch. All were completely professional.

The costumes were to die for! All the ladies were in corsets! I do have a couple of complaints about the costumes...the dresses were too big. Megan, Alison, and Allyson all needed their dresses tailored to fit their bodies a little better. I realize that the costumes were probably not hand-made just for them, but couldn't they have used a basting stitch?

Also, the corset pushed the boobs of Cecily up around her chin. Since I don't know her, I don't know if she really has large breasts in real life, but they seemed disproportionate to the rest of her body. It made me wonder if she had stuffed. If not, perhaps her corset needed pulled down just a bit, to allow the bosoms to float in their natural position. Don't get me wrong, they were covered, but they were like two giant pillows underneath her dress, and they seemed unnaturally high.

I haven't yet mentioned Lady Bracknell, who was played by Alison Jensen. I knew Alison 14 years ago, when we were both Theatre majors in college. We had several acting classes together, taught by Frank Gerrish. Alison and I were in Once Upon a Mattress together, at the Off Broadway Theatre. It was fun to see her again after all these years, and she looks exactly the same.

In the production done by Pioneer, the part of Lady Bracknell was played by a man, long-time theatre veteran Max Robinson. It was a brilliant casting choice, that I really liked, because Lady Bracknell is such a strong, dominant character. You can read a news article about Max's performance here.

Alison too, was a commanding Lady Bracknell. She was perfect for the role. She was strong and dominant without being masculine. It was clear she was the Matriarch of the family, and that she was in control.

The dialogue is so quick and so witty. I felt like Amy and I were the only ones laughing. I'm not sure if that's because we know how to be a good audience member, or if we were the only ones getting the jokes. There WERE a lot of old people in the audience, so maybe they just couldn't hear all the humor.At times, I giggled quietly to myself. Others times, I burst out laughing. When I wasn't laughing, I was smiling. There is so much humor in the dialogue that you are almost afraid to laugh, or you might miss the next clever thing that is said.

You can still see The Importance of Being Earnest until April 28th. Megan is in the Tues, Thursday, Saturday cast, but there are performances 6 days a week at 7 p.m. Tickets are $12.00. Get your tickets at http://www.centerpointtheatre.org/.

The obligatory self-photo that proves we were there,
although, this really could have been taken anywhere.

Me, Megan, and Amy
"Chins are worn very high this year."

Me, Alison, and Amy