What could possibly go wrong?
Find out when the very earnest comedy, “The Importance of Being Earnest,” by Oscar Wilde, opens at the Rockaway Theatre Company on Friday, September 25. The show runs through October 11 at RTC’s John Gilleece Theater at Fort Tilden.
Showtimes are Friday and Saturdays, September 25,26, October 2,3, and October 9, 10, plus Thursday October 1 at 8 p.m. and Sundays, September 27 and October 4 and 11 at 2 p.m. Tickets are available at www.rockawaytheatrecompany.org.
“The Importance of Being Earnest” flowed originally from the pen of Irish author, poet, playwright and bon vivant Oscar Wilde. Described on stage and screen as flamboyant and hilarious, a fitting description for Wilde himself, this longstanding comedic satire, has taken on a life of its own at the Rockaway Theatre Company.
Or should we say, a double life of its own.
According to director Mia Melchiorri, “The play centers around a man and his tireless attempt at keeping up appearances both as ‘Ernest’ in town and ‘Jack’ in the country. He has a best friend, Algernon, who also has his own set of silly decision-making skills too.”
If juggling dueling identities wasn’t enough, as it often does in comedy, and life, love then complicates things further when “‘Jack’ loves Gwendolen and Algernon loves Cecily. Chaos ensues and the frantic charades begin to pile up.
Indeed, as seen at rehearsals, the “Earnest” cast is truly having a ball romping through the play’s physical, verbal and visual comedy. Together with Melchiorri and the creative team, they are working to shape the play’s presentation, all the while ready to ramp up its absurdity and energy. Even while running through moving furniture pieces on and off the stage, and staying in character throughout, they’re having fun.
RTC’s “Earnest” not only brings that fun, but also a number of modern touches to the show. Additionally, though not a musical per se, it brings musical numbers, musical interludes and dance to the stage.
During its opening sequence, its cast of 11 manages to fill the stage with color and excitement. “I absolutely adore every single person in the cast,” Melchiorri said. “Everyone has been so game to view this play in a different aesthetic lens than your more traditional production and it feels like all eleven of them have come together to create one beautiful and silly puzzle.”
The “Earnest” cast includes Bryce Smith as Jack Worthing, Esiri Madagwa Jr. as Algernon Moncrieff, Gavin McDonough as Lady Bracknell, Hannah Brown as Gwendolen Fairfax and Adele Wendt as Cecily Cardew. Also starring are Luisa Boyaggi as Miss Prism, Julian Rich as Rev. Dr. Chasuble, Carolyn Dellinger as Lane the butler and others, and Ahlyah Williams, James Walker, and Tias Volker rounding out the ensemble, another new feature of this production.
Among familiar faces, there are quite a few actors who are brand new to RTC, as well as those who first joined its productions just this year.
Taking on a new role is Melchiorri herself, who is now directing her first RTC mainstage production. “I am very excited and honored to be officially making my mainstage directorial debut. As a longtime member of the company this has been a dream of mine for a very long time,” she said.
She has previously directed RTC’s Young People’s Theater Workshop for several years, along with their workshop team. It’s a program she herself starred in at an early age. She has also served as Assistant Director for RTC’s “The Value” and “Hello Dolly.”
“I am a drama teacher by day and have had the privilege of directing a large number of productions in addition to my work at RTC,” Melchiorri said.
Beyond that, Melchiorri is an experienced, talented performer, whose roles have included Mary Warren in this year’s “The Crucible,” Joann Galloway in “A Few Good Men,” and Olivia Darnell in “Shakespeare in Hollywood,” among many others in the last 20 years at RTC.
About the creative/production team behind “The Importance of Being Earnest,” she said, “Everyone is incredible and we have such a collaborative and unified vision of what this version of ‘Earnest’ is.”
The team includes stage manager Suzanne Riggs, costumer Cait Hynes, hair and makeup designer Karlos Roman, intern/all-arounder Alannah Fabry, social media intern Rachel Walker, sound designer James Dalid, set designer Frank Caiati and lighting designer Diana Bayne.
Crafting a show like “The Importance of Being Earnest,” like all theatre, is a group effort. As Melchiorri said, “I like to think of myself as a collaborative director. I really enjoy blending my ideas with the impulses and instincts of the actors onstage to create the most fruitful version of the play possible. I like to ask questions rather than state facts in order to guide actors down a certain pathway” leaving room for exploration, arriving at new and different ideas.
In casual conversation, the cast itself gives high marks to her “Earnest” directorial debut, deeply impressed by how she manages all its moving parts.
Why choose to do “Earnest”? “I adore this play! The story is timeless, hysterical and full of life. The show has the ability to take on a variety of meanings/purposes for any audience member that chooses to view it,” Melchiorri said. “Themes of secrecy, double identities, love, lust, and the endless pursuit of discovering your identity, and what you want presented to the world, and who you are run rampant through Wilde’s masterpiece.”
She notes that in this newest production, “In addition to Wilde’s timeless and classic writing, we have found ways to find the funny in the play in modern and classical ways alike. My vision for the play is one of opulence, whimsy and hilarity amongst each and every character.”
Melchiorri sums it all up by inviting audiences to see, and laugh, for themselves.
“Just come!” she said. “If you like to laugh, you’ll like our show!”
Photos by Dan Guarino. “Earnest” sign by Jean Hammel.
