"Man is least himself when he talks in his own person.
Give him a mask, and he will tell you the truth."
– Oscar Wilde –
Playing for a very limited engagement, the Graduate Acting Program from the Tisch School of the Arts in association with the Department of Design for Stage and Film present's Oscar Wilde's "The Importance of Being Earnest." Sam Gold (director), as well as scenic designer Carmen Cárdenas, costume designer Amy Pedigo-Otto, and the entire “… Earnest" cast, deserve recognition for bringing Wilde's creation to life.
At first sight, the audience was struck with the visual impact of the performance space, a modified arena staging. Algernon's apartment – the first scene of the play – was set in monochromatic colors, almost reminiscent of Jonathan Miller's "Mikado." The striking black-and-white tones, carried into almost every detail, forwarded the time of the play a little past its era, but it was nonetheless visually stunning. Complemented by Algernon's attire and that of his later guests' – John Worthing, Lady Bracknell, and Gwendolyn Bracknell – the tight color palette was reinforced and used for contrast later on in the production.
Following John Worthing into the country – the primary "Earnest" character – the audience notices that color abounds; while this could be taken as an artistic interpretation of the differences between city and the country life, director Gold doesn't push the production in that direction and we are left to re-evaluate the garden setting as is. Cast in warmer tones and with a larger variation in color and complexity, costumer Pedigo-Otto has more of an opportunity to display her vision. Small details like Algernon's ascot and short pants, Jack's tie pin and adornments, the embroidery in Cecily's dress, or even the country outfit worn by Lady Bracknell, don't go unnoticed; these simple and effective choices help bring out each character's personality.
Compliments as well to the powers that be for their decisive use of anachronistic technology and musical interludes. A carefully utilized remote and iPhone, along with a few well-chosen songs – mostly '70s Elton John – helped liven the piece overall; while outside the temporal setting of "Earnest," they didn’t seem out of sync with the play’s content and were, frankly, quite enjoyable.
"Earnest"'s actors deserve equal credit to the creative staff. Applause must be extended to Matt Harrington, Lee Dolson, Zoey Martinson, Nina Arianda, Julie Sharbutt, and Lucas Near-Verbrugghe for their performances In all, the characters were believable, well-thought-out, well-performed, and for the most part – with some minor textual difficulties – well delivered. The text and most of the satire from Wilde's work was apparent, but one missing element was the fun. Taking into account the author's own history, he took his intellect and wit both seriously and not at all in the same breath. The wit is entirely apparent in Tisch's production, though the actors often forget to laugh at their own jokes (or Wilde's jokes, however you prefer).
This entertaining, though slightly long, production of “The Importance of Being Earnest” is recommended to more seasoned theatergoers or to those interested in trying something on the Wilde side.
