“In matters of grave importance, style, not sincerity, is the vital thing.”
When I first sat down to watch Eagan High School’s (EHS) rendition of the classic show The Importance of Being Earnest, directed by EHS English teacher Nancy Owzarek, I didn’t expect to see a lady in a poofy dress chasing a British gentleman around with a parasol.
But I am so glad I did.
Written by playwright Oscar Wilde from 1854-1900, The Importance of Being Earnest is a comedy set in the Victorian era of England, where the drama of British aristocrats is silly, scandalous, and very witty.
One of the main protagonists, Algernon Moncrieff, played by junior Bowie Keller-Gould, begins the play by airily eating cucumber sandwiches on a couch when Mr. Earnest, played by senior Ethan Burch, visits his estate. The two discuss the rake’s exploits before the conversation reveals Mr. Earnest is not actually Mr. Earnest. Jack Worthing describes how he frequently adopts the titular title to get away with scandal in the city; his reputation at his home in the country wouldn’t allow it. However, in doing so, he had met Gwendolyn Fairfax (senior Amelie Ketcham) and fell in love. During a series of familial visits from Algeron’s family, Jack Worthing’s ward Ceicily Cardew (sophomore Violet Stowers) is mentioned privately to Algernon who expresses an interest in her -only AFTER hearing she’s pretty- but is quickly shut down by Jack, who is attempting to persuade Lady Augusta Bracknell (junior Augie Bohrer) -mother of Gwendolyn- to let him marry her daughter. The scene ends with Jack setting back home to be baptized, as Earnest is a far more respectable name than Jack, and Algernon plotting a new scrape to win the hand of Cecily.
And it all goes downhill from there.
What makes this show, with only four set changes, two hours, little to no action, and a heavy emphasis on the dialogue work, is all the people who make the performance come to life.
The actors did a phenomenal job with the admittedly tricky play to perform. The wordplay is complex, the jokes are smarter than slapstick, and the Victorian terms make it all the more unfamiliar. If it had not been delivered correctly with the right acting intentions, the show would have been hard to understand.
But it wasn’t.
The entire cast knew their assignment. The supporting cast was strong enough to hold their own, and the leads made each of their characters unique, dynamic, and fun to watch. The chemistry between Dr. Chasuble (senior Sid Bhrmanakodu) and Miss Prism (junior Ella Terborg) didn’t feel forced; the youthful energy of Cecily shone through Stowers’ performance, and the visible urge Jack had to strangle Algernon halfway through the show shared a feeling of fond frustration with the audience. (Like, come on, man, he was so close to just marrying Gwendolyn without complications!).
What’s more, Burch (Mr.Earnest) somehow got me to care about an 18th-century rich guy whom I would absolutely hate today. His strong presence mixed well with Gwendolyn’s (Ketcham) main character energy. Ketcham perfectly nailed the *haughty British sniff*, giving it more variety in tone and body language than I thought possible. Both they and Cecily (Stowers) had effortless facial expressions to top it off. It was fun to watch them interact.
However, two actors in particular were my highlights of the show.
Keller-Gould, on top of owning the stage throughout his scenes, delivered the best reaction to an old cranky British grandma: Oh good heavens; Even though Algeron caused (in my opinion) literally all the problems in the show, you cannot get mad at him for it with the way Keller-Gould plays the role. His physicality was entertaining and hard to look away from. His comedic timing was on point and hilarious. 10/10 perfect casting.
Lady Bracknell, played by Bohrer, also perfected physical comedy. For a character who doesn’t change movement a whole lot, her stage presence and physicality still dripped with aristocratic disapproval. Bohrer’s character voice was dryly cutting in a way that perfectly fit her character, and her facial expressions took ‘I’m surrounded by idiots’ to a whole other level. When a dramatic head tilt says just as much about the character as the dialogue, I’m officially impressed.
No play is possible without the tech crew behind it, working seamlessly to get the job done.
The costume department, led by Sarah Christenson, excelled in this show, with many characters undergoing seamless costume changes, with wardrobes that fit the scene perfectly. My personal favorite costume piece was the large, extravagant hat Lady Bracknell wears. The hat was elegant and eye-catching in the best ways.
The set design was amazing. The scenic painting by Michaela Lochen was clean and concise. The attention to detail from the prop and set dressing team, led by Kathleen Westgard, was evident from the numerous different props and set pieces that made the setting feel real. Incredible care was put into the set design, and it showed.
The state managing, running lights, and changing sets all seemed quick and efficient. Morgan Hara and Olivia O’Masta were stage managers in this show, and from what I saw, there were a few hiccups.
The tech crew killed it like always.
Of course, none of it could be possible without the teacher directors guiding the show. Special congratulations to Owzarek for her overall direction, which let this show happen. For the seniors in this show, I hope you walk away feeling proud. For the sophomores and juniors, I cannot wait to see what you do next.
It’s too late for me to tell everyone to go watch this, so I will say this earnestly: the fall plays at Eagan High School are awesome, so when September rolls around next year, take some time to go see them.