Chuckles, Giggles, and Guffaws: ‘Earnest’ Plays at Lost Nation

Chuckles, Giggles, and Guffaws: ‘Earnest’ Plays at Lost Nation By Charlie McMeekin, Theater Critic

It’s a common phrase that bad things come in threes, but in the case of Lost Nation’s theater schedule this summer, good things also triple up, as their current production of "The Importance of Being Earnest" makes the third enjoyable theater trip in a row I’ve made to Montpelier.

Unlike the first two plays, which tackled weighty subject matter and left a mark, this play is downright unabashed fun.

Paragraph two of my reviews usually attempts to summarize the plot, but Wilde’s story of love, social class, and deceit is so intricately woven that any retelling would just lead to confusion.

For example, you have an Earnest who is Jack at times, an Algernon who chooses to be Earnest, a Busby who doesn’t exist, and a butler who appears at two different homes sporting two different names! The plot is convoluted enough that much of the first act of this three-act production seems to be spent laying the groundwork for the hijinks to follow.

Fortunately, it’s an investment worth making, as the show slowly builds in intensity and the laugh level climbs to a most enjoyable height!

Lost Nation fans will be pleased to learn that Emme Erdossy has returned to the stage after taking some time off to become an elementary school teacher. Emme has been a key performer in many LNT shows, and her work as Lady Bracknell is captivating. It’s hard to figure out how she can deliver so many inane comments on humanity with such a serious expression.

She tells us that "in matters of grave importance, style, not sincerity, is what matters." And she admits that her nephew "has nothing, but he looks everything."

Kate Kenney also returns to Montpelier, having previously played Juliet in 2006. This time she’s still looking for love, but insists that her love interest has to have the right name, a name like Earnest. Kate gives her character Cecily such blitheness and energy that you almost forget that her character’s depth is about as thick as scum on a pond.

The show’s other leading female, Megan Callahan, plays Gwendolyn, who’s in hot pursuit of the vapid character title. This is Megan’s first appearance in these parts, and she too has a stage presence that encourages easy laughter. She also wants a lover named Earnest, and when the object of her affections tries to explore the possibility of her finding love for a man named, say, Jack, her rejection of such a common name is hysterically funny.

Caleb Prost plays Algernon, who desires to meet Cecily for prurient purposes. This role gives Caleb the chance to renew a relationship with Kate that he last enjoyed when he played Romeo here. Prost proves to be quite the dandy of a man, somewhat of a comic foil to Jack/Earnest, played by Joshua Davis in his first LNT appearance.

Act I belongs almost entirely to these two men, who do yeoman’s work introducing the ingredients for future laughs. Whether it was the nature of the script, or something in their performances, these two men had to work harder to get their laughs than the women did.

Final kudos go once again to Kim Bent, for his minor role as the local reverend. Each move of his was a delight to watch, and the sexual tension he and Miss Prism (Jocelyn Parrish) create is one of many preciously funny moments in an evening filled with chuckles, giggles, and outright guffaws.

"The Importance of Being Earnest" runs through July 6.