Liz Lauren
Delightully witty:Mabel (Jade Payton) and Lord Goring (Marcus Truschinski).
In Oscar Wilde’s An Ideal Husband, the successful British Member of Parliament Sir Robert Chiltern explains the moral ambiguity of his life’s work to his steadfastly honest wife, Gertrude: “Truth is a very complex thing, and politics is a very complex business.... One may be under certain obligations to people that one must pay. Sooner or later in political life, one has to compromise. Everyone does.”
Particularly relevant in a polarizing election year, the play posits that human foibles are universal and that it’s best to avoid holding our politicians or spouses to impossible standards. Through love, we have the power to accept imperfections and forgive both missteps and misunderstandings. With this production, deftly directed by Laura Gordon, American Players Theatre proves once again that it can present chestnuts of English drama that beautifully evoke the grandeur of the age, revel in erudite and witty prose and underline themes that resonate with modern audiences.
An Ideal Husband opens at a society party at the Chilterns’ London home with the arrival of an unwelcome guest from Vienna, Mrs. Chevely (played with delicious deviousness by Tracy Michelle Arnold). Bored with her life on the continent, trolling for a new husband (her third) and concerned about a financial scheme she’s invested in, Chevely tries to steal and blackmail her way into getting whatever she wants.
As the imperiled Sir Robert, David Daniel gives an earnest performance as an upright husband and public servant who has an unfortunate lapse of judgment buried in his past — one that has contributed greatly to his current wealth and power, and now threatens his downfall. His loving but judgmental wife, Lady Gertrude Chiltern, portrayed with grace by Colleen Madden, begins the play with an absolute sense of right and wrong; fortunately, she becomes less rigid as the story progresses and the couple learns to appreciate one another.
As Lord Goring, the dandy with a heart of gold and a talent for outwitting evil interlopers, Marcus Truschinski is a delight to watch. He embodies not only the silliest side of fashion and society life, but also the most pragmatic approach to delivering the Chilterns from their potential scandals. Jade Payton plays his similarly witty and wise love interest with zest. And as his perpetually disappointed father, Lord Caversham, Jonathon Smoots is entertaining to the last.
Set in English mansions resplendent with gilt-edged furniture, elegant chandeliers and immaculate flower arrangements (scenic design by Takeshi Kata), the production is gorgeous, and every character is outfitted in spectacular gowns, elegantly tailored suits and over-the-top hats that recall English high society (resplendent costume design by Mathew J. LeFebvre). Similarly, the lovely choreography (by Jessica Lanius) calls out the period’s etiquette and pageantry while also accentuating the social mores that prevent the characters from living authentically in the world.
The idea of accepting eccentricities and faults in others, rendered clearly in this production, is a lesson that Wilde would have been happy to impart to modern audiences.
