ARVADA — The Arvada Center’s superlative production of Oscar Wilde’s timeless social satire, “The Importance of Being Earnest,” proves the adage that there are no small parts: Every character in the cast is honed to a razor’s edge.
Or, as the estimable dowager Lady Bracknell would say, “is satisfactory.”
From the moment the curtain rises, butler Lane (the excellent Mark Rubald) silently sets the arch tone, displaying a more than casual familiarity with his employer’s sherry. His acerbic boss, Algernon (Jake Walker, having terrific fun), keeps the momentum, establishing a snappy pace that allows just enough time for the audience to follow the volleying snipes.
“The Importance of Being Earnest” is full of those barbs. Wilde’s play parodies the standard storyline of mistaken identity, with both Algernon and his chum Jack Worthing (Scott Bellot) masquerading as someone named Earnest as each courts a different young lady.
This creates confusion for Jack’s paramour, Gwendolen (Kate Berry), and Algernon’s flame, Cecily (Caitlin Wise). The exchanges between Berry and Wise, variously combustible and deliberately cloying, are the theater equivalent of watching two well-matched rivals at Wimbledon.
Lady Bracknell, who attempts to govern the idiotic youths, is played ably by Bev Newcomb-Madden, who has directed many Arvada Center productions. As Lady Bracknell, she evokes someone who would be quite comfortable having cocktails with Betty White and Dame Edna, if markedly less self-aware than those two.
Colin Alexander as the jovial Rev. Canon and Billie McBride as the knowing Miss Prism capably sort out the clueless higher-borns in the play’s preposterous finale.
Each of the three acts keeps such a brisk pace that the two intermissions stretch for a bit too long, especially the second one. Tuesday’s audience returned from that intermission well before the third act’s curtain rose. Cutting or eliminating the second intermission wouldn’t hurt at all.
Many of the actors are understudies for other parts. It would be worth returning for another performance to see what Jeremy Sortore (Merriman, understudy to the role of Jack) or Rubald (Lane, understudy to Rev. Canon) would bring to the other roles, and what McBride would bring to Lady Bracknell.
Claire Martin: 303-954-1477 or cmartin@denverpost.com
<hr
“The Importance of Being Earnest” ***1/2 (out of four stars)
Period comedy. Presented by the Arvada Center at the Black Box Theater. Written by Oscar Wilde, directed by Rod Lansberry. Starring Scott Bellot, Jake Walker, Jeremy Sortore, Colin Alexander, Mark Rubald, Bev Newcomb- Madden, Kate Berry, Caitlin Wise, Billie McBride and Jamie Ann Romero. Through Feb. 19. 2 hours, 30 minutes. 7:30 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays. 2 p.m. matinees Saturdays and Sundays. 1 p.m. matinee Wednesdays. Tickets start at $41. 720-898-7200 or
