“The Importance of Being Earnest,” put on by Oakland University School of Music, Theatre and Dance from March 23 to April 4, was an incredible success. “Earnest” got laughs and smiles from the nearly sold out crowd on the final day of the production, Friday, April 4.
The play, written by Oscar Wilde, is a farcical period piece set in Victorian England, follows the titular character, Earnest Worthing, as we learn that not everything is as it seems with him. We follow Earnest, along with his friend Algernon Moncrieff, as they get tangled in a web of fibs, fabrications and outright lies.
Comedy is an essential element of “Earnest,” there are running gags, clever uses of wordplay and stage blocking, as well as hilarious moments that the student-actors emphasized for increased comedic effect.
Since the play was written in 19th-century England, and was devised as a satire of its Victorian-era mannerisms and culture, the script is characteristically word-y and filled to the brim with words we do not use today. That did not stop the student-actors — many of whom had minutes of dialogue at a time — from giving it their all.
“The students did a wonderful job attacking this dense script,” Lynnae Lehfeldt, director of the production, said in a written statement to The Oakland Post. “There is a lot of word play in the piece that we don’t use in our daily lives. It was important for the actors to get a feeling for the vocal pitch that starts a new thought. The play also demands a quick delivery so that the audience stays engaged.”
Lehfeldt, who is a professor of Theatre, Voice and Movement at OU, headed the production and did a wonderful job of directing the students to capture the energy and philosophical musings of Victorian-era England. Many student-actors in SMTD — including junior Emily Cloc — were compelled to audition because the script was so challenging and the setting was unique.
“I was drawn to audition for this because I love heightened pieces, I love comedy, and I love Lynnae’s work — she makes such a fun environment,” Cloc said. “She would just encourage us to go and make choices that were really big, and it really felt very free: I could be the best actor that I was.”
The characters all acted astonishingly well, each had their own quirks and mannerisms that made them stand out. The major characters, including Cloc’s character of Lady Prism, had a lot of care put into their expressions as well as how the witty dialogue was delivered.
The titular character of Earnest was played by Freshman BFA Acting major, Ian Finfrock.
“I got the lead and I got really excited because that’s crazy as a freshman and I’m super grateful for this experience,” Finfrock said. “I mean since I got [the role] I have to put in my full effort so I can impress everyone in the program and get cast again in the future.”
Aside from the wonderfully acted elements, the production and behind-the-scenes side of “Earnest” was great. The set design and music was very fitting for the period the play was set in and those two key elements were incorporated nicely.
“Earnest” was a testament to the proven leaders of SMTD, including Lehfeldt and the experienced student stage manager, Christian Brannon, but also to the young talent that are just getting their starts in the program — such as Finfrock.
“It was a very tall task but I believe all the actors were successful,” Lehfeldt said.
To see more of SMTD’s performances and to buy tickets to future ones, visit oakland.edu/smtd/performances-and-events/.
