[NEohioPAL] Preview of "An Ideal Husband" at Lakeland Civic Theatre

[Bob Abelman]

'An Ideal Husband' can be found on the LCC campus

 

Bob Abelman

News-Herald, Chagrin Valley Times, Solon Times, Geauga Times Courier

Member, International Association of Theatre Critics 

 

This preview appeared in the News-Herald 9/24/10

 

"Sooner or later we have all to pay for what we do."

National Enquirer headline for the next round of Tiger Woods bashing?  Last minute confession by Cuyahoga County Auditor Frank Russo?  Lindsay Lohan's bumper sticker?  

Actually, this quote comes from Oscar Wilde's play An Ideal Husband, written in 1895, about how the mighty fall.  Clearly, some things never change.  

Not only do those we place high on a pedestal tend to teeter and fall; frequently, they are pushed.  Case in point is the recent extortion of University of Louisville basketball coach Rick Pitino by his co-adulterer.  The blackmailing of comedian David Letterman by a CBS news producer also comes to mind, as does Wilde's play, in which our hero-a wealthy politician-is blackmailed by one of the "beautiful idiots" that populate this social satire.

"The importance of being earnest in our public and private lives is an evergreen theme," notes Lakeland Community College theatre director Martin Friedman, who is spearheading the upcoming production of An Ideal Husband.  Adds Friedman, "for something over 100 years old, this is a surprisingly contemporary piece."

Fate catches up to Government Minister Sir Robert Chiltern when a letter that reveals a past misdeed avails itself.  Sir Chiltern must choose between a very public scandal and the private shame of his wife, who thought she had married an ideal husband.

As with other works by Oscar Wilde, this one is chockfull of wit aimed at the superficial and intellectually shallow people that populate the planet.  And, in true Wilde fashion, virtually every character is revealed to be not what they seem.  However, An Ideal Husband is also a political mystery.  As such, it a tad more serious than the more frequently produced The Importance of Being Earnest.

The Lake Civic Theatre production features Jeffery Grover as Sir Robert Chiltern, Diane Mull as Lady Chiltern and Jennifer Davies as the evil Mrs. Cheveley, whose blackmail scheme demands that Sir Chiltern use his influence in the Parliament to support a project she's invested in.  Doug Kusak plays the absurd Viscount Goring.  Other performers include Michael Rogan, Maria Thomas Lister and Katherine DeBoer.

"Politics is the theme of our current theatre season," notes Friedman, "and An Ideal Husband fits right in.  The stage has forever been a place where political issues have not only been examined but dissected and satirized.  Given the upcoming elections, The Lakeland Civic Theatre stage is primed and ready to put politics into perspective." 

Details

 

What:    An Ideal Husband.

When:   Today through October 10 (Fridays and Saturdays, 7:30 p.m., Sunday

   Matinees, 2 p.m.)

Where:  Lakeland  Civic Theatre, 7700 Clocktower Drive, Kirtland. 

Tickets: $15 for adults, $12 for seniors and $5 for students.  All matinees are $5                for everyone.

Info:       440-525-7526 or martinfriedman98 at yahoo.com
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.neohiopal.org/pipermail/neohiopal-neohiopal.org/attachments/20100924/0d971bf7/attachment-0003.htm>