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The Importance of Being Earnest
Miles Memorial Playhouse
1130 Lincoln Blvd Santa Monica
The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde is perfect for a summer's night. Starring Los Angeles audience favorite John Achorn as the uproarious Lady Bracknell and four women in the leading roles - including Lisa Wolpe as Jack - this truly gender-bending production highlights the role-playing inherent in courtship and underscores the play's unconventional attitudes towards romance and sexuality. In this hysterical, fast-moving, 75-minute gem, dashing Jack loves lovely Gwendolyn. His best friend, the handsome Algernon, adores the sensational Cecliy. All should be well - except that both men aren't quite as earnest as they seem. Having dreamed up alternate identities for themselves to escape unwanted social obligations, they're now having trouble keeping their multilayered, conflicting stories straight. This masterpiece of manners is a hilariously scathing critique of social hypocrisy, as relevant today as when it was first written in 1895. Part of the Wicked Wilde Shakespeare Festival.
Thru - Jun 27, 2010
Price: $15
Show Type: Festival
www.milesplayhouse.org
Review Round-Up
| LA Weekly - Highly Recommended
"...Wolpe's production is briskly played, running a bit more than 90 minutes without intermission, and she leads her cast in faithfully playing the situations as well as the lines. The simple formalized sets are by Mia Torres, and the terrific Victorian costumes are by Allison Leach, who's particularly to be commended for the men's tailoring."
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StageHappenings.com - Highly Recommended
"...Of all the plays in this festival, Oscar Wilde’s comic romp is perfect for experimenting with gender roles and identity given these talented actors. For those who have seen this play numerous times, this production offers a clever and intriguing twist to a classic that makes the importance of playing Earnest less important than how they play them."
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