Review: The Importance of Being Earnest

Review: The Importance of Being Earnest | Bas Bleu Theatre | Fort Collins, CO | Curtain Up! | Eric Fitzgerald

Bas Bleu’s production of The Importance of Being Earnest, supremely directed by Steve Keim, embraces the play’s celebrated subtitle — “A Trivial Comedy for Serious People” — with a buoyant confidence that suits Wilde’s world perfectly. What keeps the play so alive for contemporary audiences is the incisive sparkle of Wilde’s writing, that elegant habit of saying one thing while slyly meaning another. Playing now in Fort Collins, that incisiveness becomes a mirror held lightly aloft — inviting us to laugh at the absurdities of Victorian society while recognizing, with a wince and a grin, how little has really changed.

A little background: When The Importance of Being Earnest premiered on February 14, 1895, London audiences embraced it immediately, praising its wit and effortless charm. But even as Wilde enjoyed this success, trouble was already approaching. Just four days later, the Marquess of Queensberry left his infamous calling card, accusing Wilde of “posing as a sodomite,” triggering the legal spiral that would destroy his career. It’s impossible to revisit the play now without feeling that shadow—how quickly public delight can turn into public judgment, a reminder that our own cultural climate isn’t so different from 1895.

Told over three acts, The Importance of Being Earnest follows Jack Worthing (Calvin McConnell) and Algernon Moncrieff (Brett Darling), each hiding secret identities that unravel spectacularly when Jack’s ward, Cecily Cardew (Elisabeth Larson), and Algernon’s cousin, Gwendolen Fairfax (Elisabeth Sells), arrive with strong ideas about who they plan to marry. Their romantic plans clash with the formidable Lady Bracknell (Wendy Ishii), whose scrutiny threatens to ruin everyone’s hopes. Meanwhile, the household remains in delicate balance thanks to Miss Prism (Robyn Krause) and the steady Reverend Chasuble (Jeffrey Bigger), with Algernon’s butler Lane (Bill Moorcroft) offering his dry observations from the sidelines. What starts as a simple deception grows into a web of mistaken identities, sincere confessions, and delightfully improbable surprises.

As Jack Worthing and Algernon Moncrieff, Calvin McConnell and Brett Darling offer steady, good‑natured performances, bringing an easy rapport to Wilde’s world even if their first‑act exchanges occasionally settle into a single tonal lane. Their footing grows firmer as the evening unfolds, but the production truly comes alive with the arrival of Elisabeth Sells as Gwendolen Fairfax and Wendy Ishii as Lady Bracknell, both of whom immediately elevate the energy. Sells, in particular, has a wonderfully sharp sense of comedic timing—her Gwendolen is both entirely believable and irresistibly funny. The real vitality of this Earnest rests with its women: Elisabeth Larson’s lively, quick‑witted Cecily Cardew, Sells’ poised and razor‑precise Gwendolen, and Ishii’s commanding, meticulously detailed Lady Bracknell. Together, they shape the production’s most memorable texture and propel its comic rhythm forward.

Robyn Krause gives Miss Prism a silky, attentive presence, the kind that quietly steadies every scene she enters, even as her part in the story’s final unraveling hovers just out of view. Jeffrey Bigger, as Reverend Chasuble, brings a looser, more textured energy, slipping in a delightful bit of humor whenever the play threatens to take itself too seriously. Together, they lend the production a calm, companionable charm that nicely offsets the surrounding chaos until the play’s concluding revelations fall into place.

L to R: Elisabeth Larson, Brett Darling, Jeffrey Bigger, Wendy Ishii, Robyn Krause, Calvin McConnell, and Elisabeth Sells | William A. Cotton Photography

Under Steve Keim’s direction, the production moves with smooth confidence, and much of the staging feels thoughtfully crafted. Still, there are moments, especially early, when the evening might have benefited from a slightly sharper-focused approach, a tighter alignment of tone and pacing to match the precision of Wilde’s language. Even so, Keim keeps the play’s world cohesive and lively, guiding the ensemble toward a rhythm that ultimately resonates with charm and clarity.

The physical production is praiseworthy, a reminder of how much care and craft can elevate Wilde’s world. Terri Gerrard’s costumes strike the right balance of period elegance and playful flourish, while Grant Putney’s lighting gives the evening its shifts of mood and sparkle without ever overwhelming the action. Design consultant Jim Brookman ties the visual elements together with a sure hand, creating a cohesive environment that supports the comedy rather than competing with it.

In the end, Steve Keim’s direction shapes an evening that feels both faithful to Wilde and refreshingly alive—smart, lively, and grounded in a genuine affection for the material. The ensemble works together with an ease that keeps the play’s intricate machinery humming, each performer contributing a thread to the larger comic tapestry. It’s an excellent representation of Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest, delivered with care, clarity, and a spirited sense of play. Catch it at Bas Bleu Theatre through March 15.

For information and tickets: https://www.basbleu.org/