"Importance of Being Earnest"
Sullivan Theater
Central, LA
Through Oct. 5th
How does one get out of plans? For Jack in “The Importance of Being Earnest,” the default is to invent some mishap with his fictional brother, Earnest, who lives in London. Likewise, Jack’s city friend, Algernon, has a fictional sickly friend, Bunbury, whom he uses as an excuse to leave the city whenever he wants.
“The Importance of Being Earnest” by Oscar Wilde follows Jack and Algernon’s hijinks as they both take on alter egos named “Ernest” to court the respective girls of their dreams. The satirical play, now running at the Sullivan Theater directed by Michael Muffuletto, holds up surprisingly well (but not entirely) for something that was originally written in 1895 and highlights the arbitrary nature of high society, which still resonates to this day.
The Sullivan Theater production starring Devin Rogers and Jack and Derek Walle as Algernon is a delightful take on the comedic play. Jack wants to marry Gwendolyn Fairfax (Courtney Murphy), but after her mother, Lady Bracknell (Katie Sills Thibodaux), finds out he was adopted after being abandoned in a train station as a baby, she’s completely scandalized and refuses to even consider the match. Meanwhile, Algernon sneaks off to the countryside, claiming to be Jack’s fictional brother to court the young, beautiful heiress who happens to be Jack’s ward. Everything that happens in this play is exceptionally convenient plotwise. For example, Algernon’s love interest, Cecily, is super receptive to his advances because she’s been obsessively fantasizing about "Ernest" anyways and mentally already had them engaged and broken up and reengaged (get someone who can match your freak, I guess), but the dramatic irony does a lot to keep the audience engaged as the two main characters dig themselves deeper and deeper into their lies.
Local theaters often choose to put on older plays. It’s part safety with audiences knowing what they’re signing up for and part budgetary. But it’s always heartening to see that when the Sullivan Theater does it, they tend to push the envelope at least a little bit. In this production, JJ Cormier, who is Black, is cast as the Merriman and is also Algernon’s understudy. Cormier’s take on the Merriman adds a sassy twist to what could have been a smaller supporting role. I hope that we see him in a leading role some time in the near future.
Though the original play was designed to satirize British society in the 19th century, much of it can still apply to modern day America. People still invent excuses to get out of social obligations, those who find themselves among the wealthiest echelons of society still have seemingly arbitrary rules about marriage and relationships, and many of our own societal norms around reputation are still absurd. Maybe people care less about family names these days (though, that is still a thing depending on who you are), but there are lots of arbitrary ways we sort people such as where we went to high school/college or what sports team we root for.
Wilde’s one liner commentaries about society still ring true. “All women become like their mothers. That is their tragedy. No man does. That’s his,” Algernon says to Jack in a scene during Act 1 but it feels like it could’ve also come from one of those relationship advice TikTok creators who talk about emotional labor.
Much has changed since Wilde penned these words. In fact, the resolution of the play would be tragic and upsetting rather than the funny relief it is if it were to play out in a modern context. But what hasn’t changed is that people love hearing about other people’s relationship drama, and through a comedy of errors, “The Importance of Being Earnest” delivers.
