by Jacqueline Marino
t's a rare theatregoer
who can resist Oscar Wilde's comedic trashing of English high society in
The Importance of Being Earnest. But for reasons baffling to those
who consider Wilde's bitingly witty script a sacred satire that should be
protected in its purest form, lyricist Anne Croswell and composer Lee Pockriss
musicalized the play in Ernest in Love.
It's obvious the Rhodes student actors performing in the McCoy Theatre production of Ernest in Love enjoy this piece. They deliver the musical's charming lyrics with fluidity and ease, indulging their shallow, one-sided characters to the hilt. Ernest also drew several non-student actors to its stage, including Dorothy Blackwood as the wily, lovestruck Miss Prism, Beverly McCraw as the iron Lady Bracknell, and Jack Kendall as chaste Dr. Chasuble. Director Barry Fuller has staged several shows at Rhodes in the past, including The Pirates of Penzance and Chicago.
The
plot of Ernest in Love winds and twirls through the actors' well-orchestrated
musical stints. Jack, played by junior Sam Jordan, is a Casanova of doubtful
lineage. He has created a brother, Ernest, to account for his frequent escapes
to the city. So Jack is Ernest in the city and Jack in the country. But
when he falls in love with London debutante Gwendolen Fairfax, played by
junior Shelley Miller, Jack must continue being Ernest or risk losing Gwendolen,
who is determined that her husband's name should be Ernest.
Meanwhile Algernon, portrayed by sophomore Sean Lyttle, has also become Ernest, Jack's wayward brother, in order to gain admittance to Jack's country house, where Jack's ward, the adorable Cecily, resides. Of course, Algernon's friends and relatives know nothing of his escapade. They think he is visiting an invalid friend named Bunbury. Both Jack and Algernon use made-up dependents to escape the boring activities of their everyday lives, as well as to engage in activities deemed socially unacceptable in turn-of-the-century England -- a practice Algernon calls "Bunburying." At one point, the two sing:
In an age when sex is not discussed/except upon the stage/A Bunbury is a must/It's the rage/Besides it's rather fun/for books are banned/and nothing's read/and nothing's said/But nearly everything is done/Fellows can have a lark/A dallying in the park/A girl is an easy mark/with Mr. Bunbury/Whenever I need him most/my invalid friend and host/is glad to pretend/He's giving up the ghost/So you can have an escapade/with dairy maids and marmalade/And you can have an episode/with London ladies a la mode/We offer a hearty toast to Mr. Bunbury.
Confusion abounds, however, when Gwendolen and Cecily, played by senior Hallie Lanier, infringe upon Jack and Algernon's double lives. In this script, there's room for only one Ernest.
Ernest's set in McCoy Theatre is cozy and floral. Set and costume designer David Jilg, a Rhodes alum and theatre faculty member, outdid himself on the actors' fine 19th-century garb. Gwendolen's wardrobe is the most fun. She is as gaudy and fake as her seemingly endless supply of ghastly detailed hats suggest.
If you'd rather eat stale cucumber sandwiches than see Wilde's old boys Algernon and Jack carry a tune, then Ernest's not for you. Although some of the original script's sass falls by the wayside, the musical is still smart and crafty. Ernest has been widely performed since its 1960 debut in New York, including in Memphis' Circuit Playhouse in 1980.
The show begins at 8 p.m. in the McCoy Theatre on the Rhodes College campus April 17th, 18th, and 19th. It concludes at 2 p.m. Sunday, April 20th. Tickets are $12 for adults and $6 for students. Call 843-3839 for reservations.
IN CELEBRATION OF NATIONAL Dance Week, Shelby State Community College will host two dance concerts this month. East Meets West & In-between will feature dancers ages 8 to adult from Dance Works, Inc., Germantown Academy of Ballet, and the Ballet Division of Continuing Education at the University of Memphis. Ballet, Spanish, African, and modern pieces will be performed. The concerts take place at 8 p.m. Saturday, April 26th, and 2:30 p.m. Sunday, April 27th in the Midtown Campus Theatre. Tickets are $8 for adults and $5 for children. For more information, call 544-5174.