When Algernon Moncrieff implores his friend Jack Worthing, who is spinning the tale of his double-life, to “pray, make it improbable,” he hits upon the very message of The Importance of Being Earnest: that deception (and un-deception, as one character puts it) become more trouble than they are worth when lies intersect.
The play, written by then-controversial author Oscar Wilde in 1890, was the author’s final theatrical endeavor and became his most celebrated social satire. The play follows the lies and social entanglements of Jack Worthing (senior Charlie Belt), who is known as “Earnest” in town and “Jack” in the country, where he pretends to have a promiscuous brother named Earnest. Worthing’s lies begin to crumble around him, however, when his fiancée, Gwyndolen Fairfax (senior Melissa Goitia) informs him that she could never love anyone but a man named Earnest.
Belt portrayed the upper-class Worthing with a serious air which enabled him to crisply deliver Worthing’s keen criticisms of local society. Belt superbly depicted Worthing’s proper mannerisms and, through excellent timing, Worthing’s more comedic hypocrisy. Goitia, as Gwyndolyn, highlighted the role’s silly properness and self-importance. Notably, Belt and Goitia both managed to strike a balance between strong chemistry and outrageous satirical comedy while interacting with each other through all of the show’s three acts.
Playing a nonchalant and sarcastic Algernon Moncrieff, sophomore Neil Wilcox-Cook carried most of the show’s observational humor as well as carrying out its strong physical comedy with ease. Wilcox-Cook deftly handled the role’s critical comments on society and the character’s larger-than-life nature without dipping into the unfathomable.
Also strong were his interactions with his young love interest, Cecily Cardew (freshman Lily Roth). Roth played Cardew, a quixotic teen, in such a vapidly self-absorbed manner that the strength of much of the comedy in the second act came from her.
Also notable was sophomore Sarah Chapin, who played the caustic Lady Bracknell. Her energy and intentionally grating delivery made for a funny and important role in the production. Chapin’s physicality was noticeably good and her delivery very strong and well-timed.
Though some of the actors had issues with consistency, the entire cast benefited from a great sense of physicality. The cast’s British accents (which all roles had) were well maintained through the show, although some of the actors struggled with speed of delivery.
Student-director and senior Yara Alemi did a solid job in maintaining both the flow of the show and the more difficult comedic timing; the jokes, though over a century old, were not lost on the audience. There were no noticeable tech problems during the performance, and the sound (designed by sophomore Tomiko Tamashiro Pardo) ran noticeably without a problem. Throughout the show, the distinctive use of lighting, designed by senior Nathan Wunderlich, enhanced the show’s setting, already well-characterized by beautiful set dressing.
Overall, Marshall offered a competent and engaging production of a difficult show. Though some actors struggled with consistency and some ventured into overdone characterizations, the strength of the physical comedy and Oscar Wilde’s clever satire made for a strong performance.