The Importance of Being Earnest (Dramatized)
By: Oscar Wilde
Narrated by: James Marsters, Charles Busch, Emily Bergl, Neil Dickson, Jill Gascoine, Christopher Neame, Matthew Wolf
Length: 1 hr and 58 mins
Performance
Release date: 11-12-09
Publisher: L.A. Theatre Works
Genre: Drama, Humor, Theater, Victorian
My Rating: 4.0 of 5.0 Overall; Story 4.0; Narration 4.0.
Publisher's Summary
This final play from the pen of Oscar Wilde is a stylish send-up of Victorian courtship and manners, complete with assumed names, mistaken lovers, and a lost handbag. Jack and Algernon are best friends, both wooing ladies who think their names are Ernest, "that name which inspires absolute confidence". Wilde's effervescent wit, scathing social satire, and high farce make this one of the most cherished plays in the English language.
Includes an interview with director Michael Hackett, professor of Theater in the School of Theater, Film and Television at UCLA.
An L.A. Theatre Works full cast performance featuring:
James Marsters as Jack
Charles Busch as Lady Bracknell
Emily Bergl as Cecily
Neil Dickson as Lane and Merriman
Jill Gascoine as Miss Prism
Christopher Neame as Chasuble
Matthew Wolf as Algernon
Sarah Zimmerman as Gwendolen
Directed by Michael Hackett. Recorded before a live audience at the Skirball Cultural Center, Los Angeles.
©2009 L.A. Theatre Works (P)2009 L.A. Theatre Works
Review:
Jack and Algernon are two Victorian gentleman who are wooing young ladies who think their name is “Earnest”, a name which inspires these rather frivolous women. The witty dialogue is like watching a tennis match – lobs back and forth. There is mockery of courtship and societal expectations that make it fun listening.
This is a satirical play written in Victorian time. Wilde clearly makes fun of the two-faced shallowness through the Victorian characters. The introduction and interview add some interest. It is a quick read/listen and makes an easy classic read.
Audio Notes: This is a dramatization which makes it a fun listen. I did have to adjust to the voices, accents and background additions, but once I settled in and thought of it as a play/drama, the performance became a fine couple of hours of entertainment.
Source: 3/2012 Free Audible. This qualifies for 2019TBR and 2019Audiobook goals.
