Oscar Wilde’s comedy is perfectly at home outdoors. It may come as a strange realization, given the clean precision of his late 19th century comedies. I’ve seen it work exceedingly well outdoors, though. There’s a freshness to seeing Wilde outdoors that feels very idyllic. It’s perfect for an early summer evening.
Early this summer, SummerStage of Delafield presents a staging of Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest. Dustin J. Martin directs a full ensemble in Lapham Peak State Park. A sharp comedic mind in his own right, Matthew J. Patten should fit quite well into the role of London bachelor Algernon Moncrieff, who is joined at the start of the play by a friend and fellow bachelor played by the charismatic Nathan Danzer. He seeks to propose to Algernon’s cousin Gwendolyn, plated here by Ruth Arnell. Arnell is enjoyable in any production, but I’ve rarely seen her onstage with the kind of sharp dialogue that Wilde pens and as she’s had experience in an earlier production of this very comedy, her performance here should be particularly fun. Kara Penrose rounds out the central cast in the role of Cecily: a young woman who complicates things for Danzer’s character.
SummerStage’s production of The Importance of Being Earnest runs Jun. 9 - 25 at Lapham Peak State Park on W329 N846 County Highway C in Delafield. For tickets and more information, visit SummerStage online.
