Austin Shakespeare Produces An Ideal Husband

An Ideal Husband
Th-Sa @8pm / Su @3pm / Though 3/1
Long Center for Performing Arts (701 W. Riverside Drive)
[info] | [tickets]

When reviewing Wilde, as when reviewing Shakespeare, there is an overwhelming desire by the reviewer to seem as brilliant, poetic, and insightful. This is, of course, impossible, so at the risk of sound oh so trite, we will begin by simply stating that An Ideal Husband as produced by Austin Shakespeare is ideal in many respects.

Oscar Wilde once wrote, “The pure and simple truth is rarely pure and never simple,” and as we learn from Lord Arthur Goring, portrayed by dandyish Shaun Patrick Stubbs, it is indeed “a complicated thing.” To an extent, An Ideal Husband is about the truths, lies, and variations thereof that we tell ourselves and others in order to become who we think we should be, “our best selves” as director Ann Ciccolella writes, and the sometimes wide gulf between perception and reality.

Ciccolella has assembled an amazing team. We could not help being struck immediately by Michelle Ney’s beautiful set design. For the first time, the Rollins Theatre space is used in the round and the effect is stunning. In vibrant hues of cornflower and persimmon, Ney’s set perfectly reflects Wilde’s language: sumptuous yet concise. Abbey Graf’s costumes are equally decadent and the actors seem perfectly at home sweeping across the stage in her Victorian creations.

The company of players is uniformly excellent, and as is often the case in Wilde’s drama, the supporting roles are every bit as memorable as the leads. Bob Tolaro is especially gratifying as the obdurate Lord Caversham. Some of the best play in the evening occurred while he was on stage. The cast is composed primarily of M.F.A. candidates from UT’s Department of Theatre, and it a rare treat to see them outside the 40 acres. Sydney Andrews lends a quietude and solidness as Gertrude Chiltern that is a lovely contrast to Mark Scheibmeir’s understandably unsettled Robert Chiltern. Verity Branco is to be commended for providing a few cracks in the façade of the indomitable Mrs. Cheveley. What we sometimes missed in the playing was a sense of just that, play. There was occasionally a forcefulness where flippancy may have been more the order. Marlane Barnes, as Mabel, achieved the best balance and was utterly charming. As the epigram spouting Goring, Stubbs bears the load of this dynamic and he does so admirably. As the embodiment of the author in the text, he plays the mirror and the mouthpiece with flare.

The staging in the round by Ann Ciccolella is ambitious and well crafted. She is more choreographer than director here, giving the entire house a great view of the various dances playing out on stage. There were a few times when it seemed too much deference was given to sight lines, and so our attention was drawn to the movement rather than the language.

For all the witticism in Husband, this production asks some bold questions regarding identity and ideals: Are we the sum of our past actions? Is there a fundamental quality that remains true regardless of our actions? When “the pure and simple” truth is known, how do we reconcile this with our ideal? These are as pertinent today when the demand for transparency and responsibility in government and finance is perhaps greater than any time in our history. This admirable production grapples with these heavy notions with great vivacity and dexterity and should not be missed.

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