The Importance of Being Earnest
“The Importance of Being Earnest promises to be an evening of laughter and revelry as the comedy of manners pokes fun at the British upper classes,” says director Tom Zuehlke of Village Playhouse’s upcoming production of the Oscar Wilde classic. “In true comedic fashion, love finds a way,” he adds.
Oscar Wilde arguably achieved his greatest success with the February 1895 opening of this farcical play in London. It successfully skewered stifling (and sometimes bewildering) Victorian social conventions—much to the delight of its audiences who knew all too well the ways of the upper-crustaceans of British society. Alas, Wilde’s success with this high-profile production also sowed the seeds of his downfall. One of the “social conventions” (read: social ills) of his milieu was homophobia. Wilde’s romantic relationship with one Lord Alfred Douglas, soon to be made public, saw the once-heralded playwright imprisoned and, later, in self-imposed exile in Paris.
Feb. 9-25 at Inspiration Studios, 1500 S. 73rd St. For tickets, call 414-207-4879 or visit villageplayhouse.org.
Ellis
Ellis is an original work that incorporates personal stories of immigrant experiences that have been submitted to its creative team, Kelly Coffey and Don Russell, by members of our local community. As such, it is both a celebration of our diversity and the joys of coming to America, as well as a thoughtful and thought-provoking look at the fears and frustrations of doing so. Told through a combination of spoken word, music, dance, art and poetry, Ellis reflects on all the myriad hopes, dreams and fears of past and present American immigrants.
Ellis is presented by Cooperative Performance in collaboration with Alejandra Gonzalez—Alverno College student member of Youth Empowered in the Struggle (YES), a non-profit organization promoting social activism in marginalized communities and serving as a means of support for its main organization, Voces De La Frontera. Ellis also features original artwork by Ian Anastas.
Feb. 9-24 at Pitman Theatre, 3401 S. 39th St. For tickets, visit brownpapertickets.com and search event “3192774.” There will also be a free, one-off showing of Ellis in the rotunda of Milwaukee’s City Hall (200 E. Wells St.) on Sunday, Feb. 18, at 3:30 p.m.
Stones in His Pockets
The Quiet Valley is the name of a fictional Hollywood movie being filmed on location in rural County Kerry, Ireland. To add to the film’s “authenticity,” the filmmakers want townspeople to play Irish caricatures—what the American movie-going public expects to see and hear when they think of Ireland and Irish men and women. Stones in His Pockets, a 1996 play by Marie Jones, is about the making of this fictional film, the plot of which seems ripe for comedy.
And there certainly is plenty of room for comedy here, but the title of the play refers to the fact that a teenager commits suicide while the town is in mid-production of Quiet Valley by weighing himself down so he’ll drown. Though full of colorful characters, Stones is actually a “two-hander,” meaning that but two actors portray all of them. In this Windfall Theatre production, that means Robert W.C. Kennedy and Joe Picchetti.
Feb. 9-24 at Village Church Arts, 130 E. Juneau Ave. For tickets, call 414-332-3963 or visit windfalltheatre.com.
MORE TO DO
Looking
The “looking” of this comedy’s title refers to middle-aged men and women seeking love; characters include a nurse, businessman, police officer and even a radio show host. Looking was penned by one of Canada’s most popular playwrights, Norm Foster. True to form, Memories Dinner Theater productions (like this one) come with a meal. Of special note is the Wednesday, Feb. 14, evening dinner and performance featuring a special menu, champagne, wine and roses. Feb. 9-18 at Memories Ballroom, 1077 Lake Drive, Port Washington. For tickets, call 262-284-6850 or visit memoriesballroom.com.
