Local Theatre Embraces Levity By Being Earnest

Brandon Chappus as Jack Worthing and Zephyr Caruana as Algernon Moncrief

Offering an escape, a local theatre company is making things light with their next classic production.

Opening at the KordaZone Theatre (located at 2025 Seminole Street) on Friday, September 12th, Korda Artistic Productions will begin their three-week run of Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest. With the play being a well-known comedy, the company hopes the production will provide audiences with a change of pace.

Given how many people are feeling around the world right now, it’s a choice that was very deliberate.

“I chose Earnest for several reasons,” said director Jeff Marontate. “For one thing, it’s a script I love and have wanted to work with for 30 years or more. I felt we needed a show that was light and silly but smart and witty to alleviate some of the tension everyone is feeling in this world of 2025. We also always include one ‘classic’ in our season, and this year it’s Earnest.”

Taking place in 1890s London, The Importance of Being Earnest sees two friends sharing the same pseudonym for their “on the sly” activities. Of course, it doesn’t take long for the situation to create chaos as hilarity ensues from their exploits. Billed as a delight from the first cucumber sandwich on, the show focuses on what happens as Jack Worthing’s double life catches up with him.

Described as a trivial comedy for serious people, it’s a farce that revolves around the creation of a fictitious brother named Ernest., Although the non-existent sibling’s wicked ways are used for Worthing to sometimes leave his country home, it soon creates conflict as he falls for his close friend Algernon Moncrieff’s cousin Gwendolen while using the identity. It’s an issue that’s further complicated when Moncrieff uses the alter ego as well.

Despite not having a specific theme this season, Marontate felt it worked in contrast with themes from other 2025 shows like Murder on the Orient Express and Woman in Black. It also complemented more satirical fare such as Urinetown and The Guy Who Didn’t Like Musicals.

Being a fan of such wit and wordplay drew the director to Earnest as well.

“Partly, it’s because as a comedy of manners it shows sophisticated people acting like idiots,” said Marontate. “They are unaware of their own absurdities, which makes the dialogue hilarious. The structure is still boy meets girl, boy loses girl, boy gets girl, but the journey is hampered by societal expectations, extreme silliness and a total lack of self-awareness.”

As auditions began in May, the director searched for actors who had a clear understanding of the text, style and could make him laugh. Fifty people initially signed up, with 45 making it out to read for different roles, which is a large number for a non-musical.

After narrowing down his choices and putting together a cast, Marontate started rehearsing with them three times a week in June. Given the play’s style of humour, the focus immediately went into making characters feel like real people. This would ensure portrayals didn’t veer off into becoming caricatures instead.

It was a delicate balance to maintain as everyone approached their material.

“I focused on the thought processes behind the lines and cautioned the actors not to let the famous quotes and aphorisms sound practiced or planned,” said Marontate. “I also told them to consider their choices of line readings and then to almost always take the second choice, keeping the dialogue sounding fresh and unexpected.”

Other crucial elements of the play included pace, timing and precision. With such elaborate language, it required paying attention to each word and syllable. Understanding their characters so well early on, the cast was able to hone in on this as they explored which choices were right for the production.

This is also what helped Marontate cast the show as the director considers his actors to be smart, brave and funny. Beyond understanding dialogue and mastering the energetic show’s wordplay, they’ve excelled at its physical comedy as well.

Clear on their motivations, cast members have enjoyed the process along the way.

“I gave them lots of freedom of line delivery, but some very specific blocking and business,” said Marontate. “The actors were allowed to really explore and play to find the right choices. At every rehearsal, I laughed out loud at their performances as they kept them fresh and always exciting.”

This isn’t to say the director didn’t encounter any challenges while getting to that point,t however.

“Playing against expectation was important since so many of the lines are very well-known,” he said. “We had to keep the dialogue sounding new. Giving new versions of the characters was very important, especially for Lady Bracknell. An old friend once said that she is a ‘cross between a wedding cake and a battleship,’ but I think most people forget the wedding cake. She is a perfectly lovely woman as long as things go the way they are supposed to in her opinion (and she has LOTS of opinions!)”

Outside of performances, another challenge was creating a functional set. Taking place in three very distinct locations (two indoors and one outdoors,) it took careful planning with set designer Dylan Charette to create something that worked for the production. Figuring out how to change things quickly on KordaZone Theatre’s relatively small stage, Marontate asked to make it look like drawings by Wilde’s friend Aubrey Beardsley: It’s a style with bold black and white, being very art nouveau and shifting into art deco.

Uniquely tailored to the play, though, the choice allowed other elements to stand out further. Understanding that costuming needed to be flamboyant, former costumer Kelly Ridley was brought on to create outfits for two of the show’s female leads. Showcasing clothing and furniture that’s colourful and elaborate, these things now pop against the black and white set.

Putting so much effort into making Korda’s production a reality, the director remains excited for audiences to see why he feels so fortunate to have taken part.

“I’m excited to hear the audience laugh and have a great time with these ridiculous people,” said Marontate. “Our interpretation is fast-paced, physical and precise. I’ve loved being able to work with such a great script and such excellent actors. Every rehearsal has been hard work and lots of fun!”

The Importance of Being Earnest will be staged at KordaZone Theatre on September 12th, 13th, 14th, 18th, 19th, 20th, 25th, 26th and 27th. Showtimes are at 8 p.m. except for a 2 p.m. matinee on September 14. General admission is $25 with a $5 discount for seniors and students: Tickets can be purchased online or at the door (cash and debit only). September 18th and 25th will also be pay-what-you-can and scent-free performances, respectively.

Giving audiences a chance to forget their worries, Marontate hopes people have a laugh and get lost in the comedic story.

“I want the audience to know that they will have a great time and the story, despite the plot twists and turns, is really easy to understand,” said the director. “It’s a play about pretending to be someone you’re not and getting away with bad behaviour, which I believe is a common fantasy. And of course, it all works out in the end — even if people are exposed and repentant.”

More information about Korda and news about future shows can be found on their website.