Speak Out! 
Hudson Valley Stage
Oscar for the Ages
Victorians Gone Wilde at SUNY New Paltz
The lacerating wit and social commentary of Oscar Wilde are necessary tonics in our dumbed-down, hypocrisy-ridden age. For those in despair about this grievous situation, I urge you to dart out immediately to see this restaging of "The Importance of Being Earnest," the classic play about mistaken identity, pretension and cucumber sandwiches, now at SUNY New Paltz.
As the stuffy, imperious Lady Bracknell, faculty member Laura Kroll is a force to be reckoned with. She avails herself nicely, as she has done in other SUNY productions. Zach Summers, as the naughty Algy Moncrieff, has great fun with the role and infuses his character with the requisite slyness. The same can be said for the underplaying of Abraham Kless as the lascivious man of the cloth, Reverend Canon Chasuble.
Praise must be laid at the feet of scenic designer Olga Mills for a sumptuous set and Andrea Varga for marvelous period costumes.
Wilde subtitled his play “A trivial comedy for serious people,” and it is stuffed to the brim with the aphorisms he is best known for, such as “The truth is rarely pure and never simple.” As directed by Nancy Saklad, however, this production’s pacing flags constantly, sadly undercutting the delicious anarchy of the dialogue and the manic slapstick mechanics of the plot.
The evening after I saw this production, I rented the Judi Dench-Rupert Everett remake of the Wilde play. Unlike the SUNY adaptation, this version was far too manic and cutesy. I will continue my quest to find the perfect “Earnest”.
Meanwhile, head out to SUNY New Paltz for the remaining performances this weekend.
"The Importance of Being Earnest" March 8-10 at 8pm and March 11 at 2pm at SUNY's Parker Theater, 75 South Manheim Blvd., New Paltz. (845) 257-3880; www.newpaltz.edu/theatre
Jay Blotcher relocated to Ulster County from New York City in July, 2001. His first theatre experience was "You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown" in 1968 at The Wilbur Theater in Boston. A career freelance writer, he currently toils for Chronogram, Hudson Valley Life, and InsideOUT.