Friday, September 23, 2005
Important to be Truthful
I was at The Importance of Being Earnest the other night in the Abbey. Judging by the number of people there, it's exactly the kind of frothy hit the Theatre needed, at a time when its accounting practices, production choices and relevance are being questioned, as well as providing good promotion for the forthcoming Dublin Theatre Festival. It's a well-deserved success too, as the play I saw last night was well-acted, beautifully staged and highly amusing. The all-male cast, who seem to be having a wonderful time in their sumptuous dresses, could only upset the most narrow-minded of prudes. In fact, for me at least it's the additions to Oscar Wilde's play that are more controversial.
Director Conall Morrisson has added a Prologue where the elderly Wilde relives past glories in a Parisian bar. As an escape from his poverty and loneliness he begins to act out the lines from one of his plays, as the stage comes to life. It proves to be an effective dramatic technique, neatly reminding the audience of Wilde's banishment, explaining why the cast is made up entirely of men and adding a layer of sorrow that the original play was entirely lacking.
It is the third point that I take exception to. Firstly, I think that a play belongs to the author and should not be tampered with, except perhaps to abridge the work due to time constraints or to excise a phrase, word or theme that is repugnant to modern audiences. It is the director's duty to bring his interpretation of the play to the stage, not to insert himself into the work. Morrisson's additions, particularly his attempts in the prologue to ape Wilde's own flippant epigrams, jar with the rest of the play, somewhat inevitably, as they are not Wilde's work.
Secondly, they are unnecessary. Most people are familiar with the details of Oscar Wilde's life; the poet was no shrinking violet. His end was a tragic and a premature one, but it has little to do with the events of this play - a witty and satiric social comedy. There is no sorrow or tragedy in the lives of Earnest and Algernon, inserting it is a nuisance. If there had been some illuminating parallels to be drawn between their humorous scrapes and Wilde's own life, then there would have been a point for tampering.
As it is, Morrisson's additions smack of pride and egotism. Two characteristics, conversely, that Wilde himself would probably applaud.
Director Conall Morrisson has added a Prologue where the elderly Wilde relives past glories in a Parisian bar. As an escape from his poverty and loneliness he begins to act out the lines from one of his plays, as the stage comes to life. It proves to be an effective dramatic technique, neatly reminding the audience of Wilde's banishment, explaining why the cast is made up entirely of men and adding a layer of sorrow that the original play was entirely lacking.
It is the third point that I take exception to. Firstly, I think that a play belongs to the author and should not be tampered with, except perhaps to abridge the work due to time constraints or to excise a phrase, word or theme that is repugnant to modern audiences. It is the director's duty to bring his interpretation of the play to the stage, not to insert himself into the work. Morrisson's additions, particularly his attempts in the prologue to ape Wilde's own flippant epigrams, jar with the rest of the play, somewhat inevitably, as they are not Wilde's work.
Secondly, they are unnecessary. Most people are familiar with the details of Oscar Wilde's life; the poet was no shrinking violet. His end was a tragic and a premature one, but it has little to do with the events of this play - a witty and satiric social comedy. There is no sorrow or tragedy in the lives of Earnest and Algernon, inserting it is a nuisance. If there had been some illuminating parallels to be drawn between their humorous scrapes and Wilde's own life, then there would have been a point for tampering.
As it is, Morrisson's additions smack of pride and egotism. Two characteristics, conversely, that Wilde himself would probably applaud.
# posted by Name @ 12:53 p.m. 
