Review: THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST at The Lantern Theatre/Maumelle Players

I love going to see a Trent Reese production, because he always puts a refreshing spin on whatever the subject matter may be. For our viewing pleasure this time, The Lantern Theatre and the Maumelle Players teamed up to present THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST by Oscar Wilde the last two weekends in April at The Shepherd of Peace Lutheran Church in Maumelle. Described as “A trivial comedy for serious people,” our troupe of performers tackled this 1895 classic with flair and gave these staunch, dated characters some color and glowing vibrancy.  

This play is a witty and satirical comedy that revolves around the lives of two young gentlemen, Jack Worthing (Brian Larsen) and Algernon Moncrieff (Treece Ealy), both of whom lead double lives to escape the rigidity of Victorian society. When he gets bored with the country, Jack tells his family that he is going to the city to visit his brother Ernest. While in the city, he falls in love with Gwendolen Fairfax (Rachel McKee), who happens to be the cousin of Algernon.  

Algernon, on the other hand, pretends to have an invalid friend named Bunbury, whom he uses as an excuse to avoid social obligations, and decides to head to Jack’s place in the country, where he meets and instantly falls in love with Jack’s charge Cecily (Macy Foss). Both women are led to believe that both of the guys are named Ernest and fight over them. As the misunderstandings and deceptions unravel, the characters find themselves entangled in a web of lies and mistaken identities. In the end, they get it all sorted out and live happily ever after.  

I loved this modern reimagine. The costumes (Vera Proctor) were eclectic in a Bridgerton-esque kind of way. They were colorful and the design for each was uniquely put together, except for Lady Bracknell (Shua Miller) who seemed to have the most period outfit for the play.....and speaking of......I LOVED Miller as Lady Bracknell. If that is not a normal type cast, it needs to be one. It was my favorite detail of the whole show.  

Supporting the main characters were Kaliya Cherry as Lane/Merriman, Lavinia Roberts as Miss Prism and Doug Morris as Dr. Chausable. I enjoyed the side drama between Miss Prism and Dr. Chausable. Their interactions added to the show in an enjoyable way. They were super cute flirting with one another even though Dr. Chausable was a man of the Lord.  

As an extra bonus, I was happy to see my buddy Jackson Ray running the lights. It’s great that The Lantern/Maumelle players are incorporating our younger thespians into their productions, even when there may not be an actual stage part for them.  

Before the show, Director Trent Reece spoke about The Lantern’s anniversary.  

“This is the Lantern Theatre’s 50th season, if you can’t tell by the merch that I’m wearing. So, we're so pleased that we have been providing Central Arkansas with live theatre for 50 years. That's wild! So, thank you all so much for your support. It means the world. If you would like a Lantern merch you can find them on our website, conwaylanterntheatre.org. So go check those out.  

Next up, The Lantern Theatre presents “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf” by Edward Albee at Hendrix College May 24-26. For information on tickets, visit their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/conwaylanterntheatre. 

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