The Importance of Being Earnest
Known for their gender-bending productions, the Los Angeles Women’s Shakespeare Company kicks off summer with even more wild twists and a wicked sense of humor in its five-week run of The Wicked Wilde Shakespeare Festival at the Miles Memorial Playhouse in Santa Monica. Here, men play women and women play men along with traditional casting until the gender lines aren’t just blurred—they’re obliterated, revitalizing these familiar roles with an intriguing novelty.
Founder and artistic director, Lisa Wolpe helms these role-reversing adaptations with judicious pruning that keeps the running time at just over an hour with shows running back-to-back. Wolpe proves she’s a triple-threat, performing in two of the plays as Paulina from “The Winter’s Tale” and Jack Worthing in Oscar Wilde’s “The Importance of Being Earnest.” On some nights, Wolpe not only makes a speedy costume change, but a sex change as well, transforming from a shrewish noblewoman to a debonair gentleman in less than half an hour. A tall order to be sure even for this seasoned veteran.
Perhaps the importance of being a man has less importance than being earnest, given the earnest performances in Oscar Wilde’s witty little gem satirizing the sexes and the classes. In this play about switched identities, the women wear the pants as Algernon and Jack, cutting rather dashing figures with their fastidious mannerisms and droll sense of comedic timing. Indeed, Cynthia Beckert and Lisa Wolpe epitomize the effete, aristocratic foibles without a trace of insincerity or ah…stiffness to these roles. Outfitted with only minor stage makeup, particularly Wolpe’s thin mustache and appropriate costumes elegantly tailored by Allison Leach, Beckert and Wolpe use their body language and voice so confidently they are quite easily believable.
Look closely, however, as the ladies are not the only ones having all the fun. While the objects of Algernon and Jack’s affections are typically cast along with the minor players, the ball-busting role of Lady Bracknell is given some seriously funny cojones by John Achorn. Avoiding the trap of playing this grand dame as Dame Edna, Achorn oozes contemptuous feeling into every understated line and brings down the house with the famous “handbag” exclamation. Arguably, a masculine sort of woman by her rank and impossible demands, Achorn seems positively born to play this part as he commands such a daunting presence from beneath his feathered hats. Bracknell can make or break this show, and Achorn makes it even more wickedly charming.
The rest of the cast give delightful performances and all are perfectly cast especially the supremely amusing Linda Bisesti as Ms. Prism and her counterpart Dr. Chausible played by a very memorable Mark Bramhall. Kevin Vavasseur lends Lane/ Merriman a noble humility with his long stature and nimble strides as Merriman. Katrinka Wolfson sweetly portrays Gwendolyn Fairfax and Laura Covelli is fetching as a demure but hopelessly romantic Cecily Cardew.
With the exception of a rather long scene change to the country house, the play, whittled down to its best scenes and favorite one-liners moves at a terrific pace with vibrant energy. Hardly, anything is missed from the original and even though it is the longest running show in the festival, the additional fifteen minutes were well included, especially Lady Bracknell’s show-stopping scenes.
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.
“The Importance of Being Earnest”The Wicked Wilde Shakespeare Festival
Runs through Sunday, June 27
The Miles Memorial Playhouse
1130 Lincoln Boulevard
Santa Monica, CA 90403
Free parking is on 808 Wilshire Blvd.
PH: 1-800-838-3006
www.brownpapertickets.com