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A CurtainUp
Review from the Stratford Festival
The Importance of Being Earnest
As you open the program to the Stratford Festival's fourth production
of Oscar Wilde's most famous play, The Importance of Being
Earnest, you immediately notice that it is in FOUR acts. How can
that be? And who is this Lady Brancaster? Who is Mr. Gribsby? Why
is Algernon Montcrief called Algernon Montford? What's going on here
anyway?
What's going on is a "new" (read "old") version of what is perhaps
the best verbal farce ever written. It appears that when Wilde first
submitted the manuscript to his producer, George Alexander, in early
1895, Mr. Alexander wanted a shorter piece. The playwright complied
with the producer, who was also the manager of the St. James Theatre.
(Some things never seem to change, eh?) So what the audience saw at
the premiere on St. Valentines's Day that year, with the
producer/manager in the role of Jack Worthing, was the play that many
of us have come to love.
The typescript of the urtext of the play that premiered in 1895 was
lost until 1953 when it was discovered in, of all places, New Jersey.
Not in a railroad station, mind you, nor in a handbag in a
perambulator, but close enough for some delicious irony. It is this
four act typescript on which the Stratford production is based.
Suffice it to say that this viewer casts his vote with Mr. Alexander
for the shorter version. This production clocks in at just under
three hours including a twenty minute interval (as we say in
Stratford and in London--New Yorkers may feel free to say
intermission). One of the great strengths of The Importance of
Being Earnest is the dynamic set up by the playwright between
character and language from the opening moments (the marvellous
banter between Jack and Algy over the cucumber sandwiches sets the
tone for the entire performance), a tone which must be sustained by
the players.
Unfortunately, this Earnest was too earnest by far. While
much of the verbal play still works for the audience, the overall
energy level seems to dissipate as the evening progresses. What
appears as an almost academic exercise under the direction of Richard
Monette, the increasingly successful artistic director of the
Festival, and his generally talented company of players merely
confirms George Alexander's demand that the four act script be
tightened and shortened to three. When Wilde acceded to his
producer's demand, he wisely cut the entire Gribsby sub-plot in which
Jack Worthing (Ernest in town) has run up a rather significant tab at
the Savoy Hotel, a diversion that in no way adds to the comedic
structure or themes of the play. Lawyer Gribsby, gamely played by
Brian Tree, would never be missed.
Mr. Monette's production sits prettily enough in Douglas Paraschuk's
art nouveau environment. The four lovers are well enough portrayed
and Patricia Collins' Lady Brancaster (whom we know better as Lady
Bracknell) captures the haughty demeanor of this Victorian
dame--although memories of William Hutt's wonderful drag portrayal of
Lady Bracknell (in the Festival's thrice revived late 70s version of
the play) kept intruding
THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST
by Oscar Wilde
Director: Richard Monette
Cast: John Worthing - Donald Carrier; Algernon Montford - Graham
Abbey; Rev. Chasuble - Bernard Hopkins; Mr. Gribsby - Brian Tree;
Merriman - William Needles; Lane - Ian Deakin; Lady Brancaster -
Patricia Collins; Gwendolen Fairfax - Michelle Giroux; Cecily Cardew
- Claire Jullien; Miss Prism - Domini Blythe
Set Designer: Douglas Paraschuk
Costume Designer: David Lovett
Lighting Designer: Renee Brode
Composer: Glenn Morley
Sound Designer: Jim Neil
Avon Theatre at the Stratford Festival, Stratford, Ontario
Festival Website - http://www.stratford-festival.on.ca
Running: May 13 to Nov. 4, 2000
Running Time: 3 hours with one intermission
Review based on June 8, 2000 performance
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