Back in 1895, playwright Oscar Wilde’s drawing-room comedy “The Importance of Being Earnest” premiered on Valentine’s Day at the St. James Theatre in London. Writing in The World newspaper, theater critic William Archer called the play “an iridescent filament of fantasy.”
The romantic farce, wrapped in Victorian trappings and written in Wilde’s inimitable rich language, has been popular with audiences ever since and is regularly produced. But “The Importance of Being Earnest,” in spite of its subtitle “A Trivial Comedy for Serious People,” doesn’t always get the respect it deserves.
“It’s so much more than a museum piece,” said Michael Cusimano, who’s portraying the irresponsible bachelor Algernon Moncrieff in “The Importance of Being Earnest” at Lamb’s Players Theatre in Coronado. “It’s the culmination of Oscar Wilde’s work, with him at the peak of his form in wit, in construction, in demonstration of his genius with the English language. It’s a play actors love to tackle because of the challenge of his Baroque and ornamented pieces of language.”
At Lamb’s, Cusimano is ed by Brian Mackey as Jack Worthing, Algernon’s equally irresponsible friend. With both pretending to be a suitor named Ernest, they pursue romantically the elusive Gwendolen Fairfax (Rachael VanWormer) and Cecily Cardew (Lauren King Thompson). A stellar cast also includes Deborah Gilmour Smyth, Geno Carr, David McBean, Brian Salmons and John Rosen.
Though “Earnest” is a satire of the mannered Victorian 1890s, its characters would function well in a contemporary story, Cusimano says.
“It’s a rom-com about two couples who are struggling to come together,” he said. “It’s almost a screwball comedy. I’m actually having to resist some of my instincts to play it that way. All the mistaken identities and impersonations lend themselves to that sort of broad comedy.”
But Wilde’s scheming and elusive characters shouldn’t be underestimated, Cusimano says.
“We’re dealing with super-human intellect on the parts of these characters. I’m reminded of something that our dialect coach Vanessa Dinning told us, that these characters are so much smarter and faster and more clever than any person in real life could ever be.”
A frequent performer at Lamb’s, Cusimano is enjoying being part of “Earnest’s” cast under the direction of Kerry Meads.
“I’ve worked with Kerry on six, seven, eight shows,” he said. “What she does better than anyone else in town is cultivate a sense of ensemble. It’s always the highest priority for her and it’s what puts so much heart into her productions.”
This is Cusimano’s first part in an Oscar Wilde play.
“Learning the lines here is really step one,” he said. “The wit that Wilde inserts into these lines and in particular into my character requires an athleticism with the language.”
In rehearsals running up to tomorrow’s first night of preview performances, Cusimano’s been taking cues, figuratively speaking, from his cast .
“We all inspire each other to raise the bar,” he said. “David McBean came in 99 percent off book already. Not only did Rachael VanWormer have her lines off book, but she’s carved out these beautiful monologues.
“There’s a sense of camaraderie and ensemble built in because of this cast Kerry has put together,” Cusimano said. “There’s also something about the bonding that comes with battling this really challenging play. We’re all helping each other.”
‘The Importance of Being Earnest’
When: Previews, Saturday through Sept. 20. Opens Sept. 21 and runs through Nov. 10. 7 p.m. Thursdays and Fridays; 2 and 7 p.m. Wednesdays and Saturdays; 2 p.m. Sundays
Where: Lamb’s Players Theatre, 1142 Orange Ave., Coronado
Tickets: $38-$82
Phone: (619) 437-6000
Online: lambsplayers.org
