Review: freeFall Theatre's THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST WITH ZOMBIES

freeFalled [free-fawld] verb/past tense Definition: To add a twist to a theatrical production in order to make the show feel new and alive. Examples: Setting Into the Woods in a psychiatrist office, casting a man in the title role of Mame, or performing a one-person version of Shakespeare's The Tempest. Proper use in a sentence: "The theatre company wanted to do something different with Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf, so they freeFalled it by adding monsters and retitling it Who's Afraid of Virginia Werewolf."

It's no secret that there are more added twists in a freeFall show than there are in Willy Wonka's chocolate factory. And their latest one is a doozy--taking perhaps the wittiest play ever written and adding a George Romero undead element to it. THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST has been described as the second most quoted play written in the English language (Hamlet is the first). Oscar Wilde and zombies usually aren't paired together like peanut butter and chocolate, or rum and coke, but the end result is surprisingly coherent, underscoring EARNEST'S deeper meanings. THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST WITH ZOMBIES is a weird concept, but it's not as farfetched as you may think.

Although the playwright's famed bon mots are there, lines have been mildly altered to reflect the "London Plague of the Undead of 1895." But as each of the three acts unfolds, more and more lines have been added or changed. This matters because as clever as freeFall's Eric Davis is (he adapted Wilde's play to suit a zombie apocalypse), he still isn't Oscar Wilde (who is?). And none of the added lines are equal to--or better than--Wilde's originals.

Still, it's a fascinating twist on a classic, always thrilling, but is it necessary? I'll get back to you on that one.

The production is spot on, and the cast definitely stellar, with Daniel Schwab leading the way as Algernon Moncrieff. This is an Algy who's both idle and quick, irreverent and hilarious. We can't wait for him to return to the stage whenever he's off; it's an astonishing performance, the best Algernon I have ever seen. And Nick Lerew, as Jack Worthing, is full of life with impeccable comic timing and his usually strong stage presence. As Jack's love interest, Gwendolyn Fairfax, Kelly Pekar is radiant and hits just the right notes. As the fourth lead, Cecily Cardrew, Algernon's significant other, the charming and lovely Maya Naff steals the show. Both Lerew and Pekar are now part of freeFall's rep company and are scheduled to be in all of their shows this year. Let's hope both Schwab and Naff join them as the next repertory players, because I will watch them anywhere.

These four performances alone are enough to sit through the show's constantly exciting two hours and forty-five minutes. But there's so much more to offer.

As the servant, Lane, Matt McGee once again stands out with his brilliant characterizations. He looks like Ebenezer Scrooge merged with President John Quincy Adams, with a tuft of Donald Trump comb-over hair thrown in for good measure. In Act 2 and 3, McGee also plays Merriman, a second servant, who is far more dour; he reminds me of an undead Erich Von Stroheim on Benzodiazepines. His transformation scene while still managing to serve the unaware Gwendolyn and Cecily is a highlight of the show. McGee takes two potential throwaway roles and makes them his own--memorable creations that showcase one of our area's finest actors.

Jennifer Christa Palmer is stirring as Miss Prism, but she seems too young for the part. Larry Alexander is one of my favorite local actors; he was joyous as Elwood in Harvey and splendid in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. But he's just not quite here here. He certainly looks the part of Dr. Canon Chasuble, and he's his usual commanding self onstage, but something is amiss. Most of this has to do with his accent, which I could not get a handle on (and obviously neither could he).

Something occurred on opening night that will more than likely not happen on subsequent performances: An actress had to take over the part of Lady Bracknell with just two days' notice and, on opening night, appeared onstage with a script in hand. Susan Haldeman should be praised and patted on the back for saving this production. Her Lady Bracknell will get more of an edge and bite as she further slips into the role, but even with a script in her hand, she did quite well; but Bracknell is a towering character, one of the most iconic in theatre history, and Haldeman will certainly capture more of her larger than life qualities as the show continues its run.

Which leaves us with the zombies, or "ambulators" as they call them. The group that plays these necro-servants (Caleb Brening, Natalie Cottrill, Erica Goldman, Hailey Hendrickson and Christina Kay Jimenez) do a remarkable Howl-O-Scream kind of job. They are ghoulish but never very scary. Their creepy pinnacle occurs at the start of Act 3 where James Zervas' lighting really sets the scene. Special mention must be paid to young Will Garrabrant, who follows up his role as Young Patrick in Mame with the part of a cannibalistic undead lad. I guess you can say that he, along with Matt McGee, went from Mame to Maim.

It can be argued that the cast, especially the four leads, are so good that zombies aren't necessarily needed to jolt this production alive. It's already alive. But if you, like me, have experienced EARNEST too many times and want to see a fresh perspective of it, then perhaps it's a welcome addition. Still, I worry. What about those souls who have never experienced the brilliant wit and wonderful quips of Oscar Wilde? Will they understand the greatness of the show without the "ambulatory" twist? And with a cast this good, a really good straightforward version of EARNEST is not a bad thing.

People had the same argument when Eric Davis performed a one man Tempest at freeFall last May. Some critics wondered if Davis should have just done a full-scale version of the Shakespeare play instead. But they missed the point. Davis had created a new version of The Tempest, and we got to experience something entirely new and thrilling. It's the same way here. Zombies are a great selling point, and this EARNEST is vastly entertaining, but you sometimes get the feeling that it's also unnecessary. The play works with or without the undead lurking around.

Also, the show changes its tone halfway through Act 3 and never quite recovers. It's surely a blast and extremely well done, but a séance and an exorcism seem to stylistically come from an entirely different show. I don't know if I bought into it here (where I did with the earlier shenanigans), but I did laugh at the way EARNEST was freeFalled here. But I'm still wondering. The original is so gorgeously written, does it need "The Walking Dead" angle to bring it to life? I'm going to be pondering that query for quite some time.

Technically, freeFall hits a homerun here. Eric Davis' scenic design is to die for, as are the various weaponry and props (such as a lion's head at the beginning, where I overheard someone say before the show began, "How many Tina Turner wigs died to make that lion's mane?"). The lighting is creepily appropriate, and Eric Davis' sound design, packed with snippets of eerie music, is almost a character in and of itself. Amy J. Cianci's costumes are deliciously elaborate, combining the Victorian era with a variation of steampunk; the costumes really add to the show, as do the zombie make-up and the wig design of Loryn Pretorius. This production marks the freeFall debut of their new technical director, James Zervas, and he steps in perfectly. This is one handsomely mounted show.

Eric Davis' direction continues to impress. He gets incredible performances from his cast and has a quirky, beautifully bizarre view of the world (and of theatre), and he gets to see his off-the-wall creations come to life. His imagination knows no bounds, and the genius is that he is able to capture it on the stage. Also, he helped move sets during the intermission; not many directors are this hands on. Mr. Davis constantly proves that he is one of a kind, an artist with vision and (more importantly) guts.

I can bet that you will never see another IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST quite like this. It's funny, fast and seems contemporary in its own way, even though it's set 120 years ago. For the purists out there, you will find the addition of zombies to Oscar Wilde's finest play unsettling at best. This is not a show for you. But for those of you who like their theatre mixed up and crazy, who love the shock of the new and aren't afraid to experience risk-taking and sauciness, then gleefully hop aboard this wacky train. It's a wild Wilde ride.

THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST WITH ZOMBIES is perfect for the Halloween season and plays until November 1st. For tickets, please call (727) 498-5205.

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