The Importance of Being Earnest Review – To Bunbury or not to Bunbury

Oscar Wilde’s last, most popular, and most frequently performed play has come to the Antaeus Theatre Company to delight audiences with uproarious satire a la Wilde. First performed in 1985 in London, THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST is the author’s lampoon of Victorian manners and treats most institutions, even marriage, as trivial and worth poking fun at. Reviews of the time were mixed due to Wilde’s failure to promote a righteous message, a given in Victorian times. To quote H.G. Wells, “More humorous dealing with theatrical conventions would be difficult.” At the same time, George Bernard Shaw opined that, though the play was “extremely funny,” it was Wilde’s “first really heartless one.” Many consider THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST as the culmination of Wilde’s career. Most especially since he died when he was only 46 years old.

Bo Foxworth and Julia Fletcher – Photo by Jeff Lorch

If anything, Oscar Wilde’s life was probably more dramatic than any of his plays. On the successful opening night of this piece, the Marquess of Queensberry – whose son Lord Alfred Douglas was Wilde’s lover – planned to disrupt the show by throwing rotten vegetables at the author as he took his requisite bow. Wilde was tipped off, and the nobleman was refused admission. Their feud ended up in court. When Wilde’s homosexuality was revealed in open court to a scandalized Victorian public, his penultimate play closed after only 86 performances. Just 15 weeks after the play’s opening, Wilde was sentenced to two years’ hard labor in prison. When he was released, a sick and broken man, Wilde immediately fled England to Paris, where he died destitute three years later.

Alex Barlas and Jules Wilcox – Photo by Jeff Lorch

But time would prove the play’s worth. THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST has been revived multiple times and adapted into three films, operas, musicals, and radio and television productions. Even with the obvious difficulties in translating the pun intended in the title and in the very name of Ernest, the script has even been adapted into many languages. Clearly, THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST is here to stay.

Alessandra Manon and Julia Fletcher – Photo by Jeff Lorch

Set in urban London and countrified Shropshire, England, THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST is a story of assumed identities and the chaos that ensues. Best friends and idle Victorian dandies John (Jack) Worthing (Alex Barlas) and Algernon Moncrieff (Jay Lee) discover during a brief visit that Jack – who lives in the country with his young “excessively pretty” ward and heiress Cecily Cardew (Alessandra Manon) – hopes to marry Algernon’s beautiful cousin Gwendolen Fairfax (Jules Wilcox). And the only barrier between them is the very proper Lady Bracknell (Anne Gee Byrd), Gwendolen’s guardian and staunch upholder of Victorian principles. In order to escape the boredom of the country and to see his lady love, Jack has invented a wastrel younger brother named Ernest who lives in London – and often requires his older brother’s assistance to get out of jams. Meanwhile, intrigued by Jack’s description of his charming ward, Algernon goes off to Jack’s country estate posing as Jack’s troublesome brother Ernest in order to meet the lovely Cecily. But romance has its difficulties, and there are ruts in the road to true love. As luck would have it, it soon turns out that both Gwendolen and Cecily have a romantic fixation on a name: Ernest. Much to Jack’s and Algernon’s chagrin.

Jay Lee and Alessandra Manon – Photo by Jeff Lorch

The tangled web of love, lies, and Victorian conceits offers a formidable canvas for Wilde to decorate with witty banter and satirical humor. Director Gigi Bermingham has a raft of fun guiding the very talented cast through Wilde’s maze of Victoriana. THE IMPORTANCE OF EARNEST is a rollicking satire in which nothing is scared. Presented in two acts, this merry and entertaining boondoggle through life in “the good old (Victorian) days” will keep you laughing. Angela Balogh Calin’s set is scrumptious, and Julie Keen’s costumes are a delight. The entire production team has managed to bring Victorian England to life in Glendale. Time for a bit of trivia? It has been suggested that “Earnest” was a code word for gay in the Gay Nineties. Of course, it is unlikely that Wilde would have known that – or would he?

Jay Lee and Michael Yapujian – Photo by Jeff Lorch

THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING ERNEST runs through 12/9/24 with performances at 8 p.m. on Mondays through Fridays, at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. on Saturdays, and at 1 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. on Sundays. The Kiki and David Grindler Performing Arts Center is located at 110 East Broadway, Glendale, CA 91205. For information and reservations, call 818-506-1983 or go online.