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ON STAGE DAYTON REVIEW: The Importance of Being Earnest Review (Dayton Playhouse) –Wonderfully Witty Wilde

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The Importance of Being Earnest

(L to R): Matthew Glenn, Jackie Darnell, Laura Bloomingdale and Duante Beddingfield in The Importance of Being Earnest

There’s a lot of “bunburying” going on at the Dayton Playhouse as the organization delivers an admirable presentation of Oscar Wilde’s wonderfully witty 1895 comedy “The Importance of Being Earnest.”

A prime topic of discussion in this eventful affair, “bunburying” concerns the delicate attempt to assume another identity for purposes of avoidance. Algernon Moncrieff and Jack Worthing, the engaging, flawed friends at the heart of the breezy three-act play, revel in such behavior for laughably selfish reasons until their deception gets the best of them. But in “Earnest,” deception, fueled by mistaken identity and the folly of love, is a key ingredient to its sophisticated triviality, marvelously addressing the foolishness and hypocrisy of the upper class with such juicy lines as “he has nothing but he looks everything.” After all, Wilde, expertly dissecting the Victorian worldview of marriage and status, wouldn’t have it any other way.

As the incredibly droll and vain Algernon, a dapper cad who cannot shake a craving for cucumber sandwiches, Duante Beddingfield, benefitting from non-traditional casting, effortlessly shines in his first leading role after stealing many scenes in a featured capacity over the years. With eager assurance, Beddingfield grasps the rhythmic zingers within Wilde’s clever, tricky text, displaying sharp timing and a highbrow, sitcom-esque flair reminiscent of “Frasier.”  He also astutely inhabits Algernon’s flippant, slightly off-putting personality. In fact, his appeal, which is vital, never wanes as he walks the fine line between slick and snide, particularly scoring big laughs in unexpected moments and showcasing a tender chemistry with Laura Bloomingdale as the affably daft Cecily Cardew.

Matthew Glenn, who delivered a breakthrough performance last summer in the Playhouse’s FutureFest production of “A Political Woman,” is equally strong as Jack, who has grown accustomed to living life as Ernest in the city and is particularly mystified about his upbringing. Smoothly navigating a wave of frustrated, perplexed and elated emotions from start to finish, Glenn warmly conveys Jack’s love for Algernon’s cousin Gwendolyn Fairfax (an excellent Jackie Darnell), and shows great fortitude when he finally has the upper hand against the formidable, nitpicky Lady Augusta Bracknell, Gwendolyn’s society-driven mother haughtily portrayed by Patti King.

Matthew Lindsay (Lane), Cheryl Mellen (Miss Prism), Jim Lockwood (Canon Chasuble) and Katie Wenzel (Merriman) delightfully complete the cast, who are attractively costumed by Linda Sellers and sustain proper British accents under the fluid direction of Jennifer Lockwood.

Oddly, the production’s slapdash scenic design is a disappointment, especially since the play oozes Victorian grandeur. Even so, the sheer entertainment value compensates for the visual shortcomings.

“The Importance of Being Earnest” continues through Feb. 3 at the Dayton Playhouse, 1301 E. Siebenthaler Ave., Dayton. Performances are Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. Act One: 45 minutes; Act Two: 45 minutes; Act Three: 25 minutes. Tickets are $17 for adults and $15 for seniors and students. For tickets or more information, call (937) 424-8477 or visit DaytonPlayhouse.org.

 

On Stage Dayton Review – “Dracula” by The Dayton Playhouse

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Alex Carmichal (l) and Jared Mola in Dracula (Contributed photo)

Chills, kills and thrills abound in the Dayton Playhouse’s impressively conceived production of “Dracula,” adapted by William McNulty and originally dramatized by John L. Balderston and Hamilton Deane from Bram Stoker’s classic novel.

Under the striking, cinematic direction of David Shough, “Dracula,” the classic psychological and physical battle between good and evil exposing intriguing aspects of lunacy, power, sexuality and religion, grips from the start and doesn’t let go. Vividly launched by Chris Newman’s stellar prologue illustrations, Shough’s breezily paced, eerily dark and delightfully amusing presentation– effectively heightened with flashy special effects and Puccini’s marvelously melodramatic “Turandot” as inspired underscore –uniformly attacks with purpose. This show could have imploded with actors wallowing in a spooky sea of overblown hysterics or cheesy horror shtick with the rudimentary goal to “be scary,” but Shough ensures his believably conflicted cast remains committed at every turn, giving McNulty’s fully fleshed adaptation, a clear, succinct and tight examination of Count Dracula’s sinister menace and uncontrollable influence pervading Victorian England, the thoroughly engrossing treatment it deserves.

As the titular vampire, the impeccably creepy Alex Carmichal, an actor with a history of villainous roles, delivers one of his best performances. Uniquely possessing a simultaneously charming and contemptible aura, Carmichal meticulously uncovers the multifaceted malevolence within Dracula’s quest for control. He’s certainly good for a laugh, as any Dracula must, but he can also be remarkably seductive, particularly in the terrifying Act 1 finale he shares opposite Sarah Parsons (solid as Lucy Westphal) in which a matter of life and death culminates in hauntingly alluring surrender.

[dropshadowbox align=”right” effect=”lifted-both” width=”250px” height=”” background_color=”#ffffff” border_width=”1″ border_color=”#dddddd” ]”Refreshingly raising the bar for community theater, ‘Dracula’ is a must-see”…[/dropshadowbox]Jared Mola, who delivered a breakthrough performance last season in the Dayton Theatre Guild’s production of “Wittenberg,” is similarly outstanding as delusional inmate Robert Renfield, who relishes his intermediary contributions as the good-natured duo of Thomas Seward (Matthew Lindsay, appropriately conservative) and Abram Van Helsing (Saul Caplan, very authoritative) seek his help in their quest to destroy Dracula, whose allegiance Renfield maintains. Mola’s comedic timing and lively physicality, executed while signaling warnings of impending doom, is a constant joy.

Additionally, Heather Martin wonderfully taps into her inner Carrie White as Margaret Sullivan, Seward’s assistant possessed by Dracula, and her tender bond with David Hallowren (highly enjoyable as the tough yet amiable inmate attendant Norbert Briggs) is palpable. Matthew Glenn as Jonathan Harker, Carolyn Hoogsteden (what a screamer!) as Mina Grant, Margaret Foley, Cari Meixner and Debra Strauss as Dracula’s sadistic brides, David Stephen Thomas as a Monster and Addison Page Wheeler as the Girl completes the cast, attractively costumed by Barbara Pontecorvo. Shough spearheads the production’s terrific atmospherics as set designer, co-lighting designer (with Anita Bachman) and co-sound designer (with Bob Kovach).

Refreshingly raising the bar for community theater, “Dracula” is a must-see.

“Dracula” continues through Oct. 21 at the Dayton Playhouse, 1301 E. Siebenthaler Ave., Dayton. Performances are Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. Act One: 75 minutes; Act Two: 50 minutes. Tickets are $15-$17. For tickets or more information, call (937) 424-8477 or visit www.daytonplayhouse.org