Local theater troupe the ABC Players has done a season full of comedies and is continuing that pattern with its final production of the season, but this time it’s something more classic.
The ABC Players are presenting
The Importance of Being Earnest
by Oscar Wilde Thursday through Sunday at Stuart’s Opera House, 52 Public Square, Nelsonville, Ohio.
The play follows two friends, John Worthing and Algernon Moncrieff, who both use the pseudonym of “Ernest” when acting in his double life.
“If you love words, then you will love this play,” said Karen Chan, director of the show. “It’s a beautifully worded play. … I’ve added a little more body just to make it more comedic.”
Chan has made some other changes to the play, most notably the combination of the second and third act. Chan said she did not cut any material from the play but just eliminated the second intermission for sake of time.
That elimination created a challenge for production designer Sandy Russell who had to then combine the backgrounds for the acts. Russell painted watercolor pictures that were scanned and made into PowerPoint slides. With the change, she redid the picture so that the outdoor garden image for the second act shared the screen with the interior set of the third act.
Russell said what was most important with the designs was that they matched the tone of the play.
“Victorian and Edwardian things tend to look serious and dark, but that’s not what I wanted,” she said. “I wanted to create the effect of a living illustration. … Keep it rich visually but still look whimsical.”
The combination of the great comedy and great words is what James Euto, who plays John Worthing, said he loves about the play.
“This is one of the greatest roles an actor, especially a comedic one, can do on the stage,” he said. “So many comedic roles are bereft of anything important. Even though it’s a farce, it’s making serious commentary on society at the time.”
Along with the celebration of Wilde’s work is the celebration of two students who have done a lot with the ABC Players. Those two individuals will receive the second annual Steve Haskins Memorial Scholarship.
Haskins was one of the founders of the ABC Players and was what Chan described as the “lifeblood” of theater with his kindness and openness. Russell is one of the recipients along with India Mitchell.
“Haskins was a very lovely guy and very encouraging of people who felt like they didn’t belong. He pulled you in,” Russell said. “He was the reason I went to ABC, and I’m still working on this because of him and his encouragement.”
What: The ABC Players present
The Importance of Being Earnest
When: 8 p.m. Thursday-Saturday; 2 p.m. Sunday
Where: Stuart’s Opera House, 52 Public Square, Nelsonville, Ohio
Admission: $10 advance; $12 door; $7 students
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