Winsame & Wilde

The Poet lived a life divided by elation and sorrow, each emotion intensifying the glory or bitterness of the other. Fortified by fiery wit and fiery whiskey, Oscar Wilde tackled the foibles of Victorian society with equal panache at the Albermarle Club and Reading Jail. As poet, dramatist, novelist, and aesthete, Wilde succeeded in expressing through his writing the myriad emotions he experienced and observed in the world around him.

The Importance of Being Oscar attempts to convey this variety of sentiment in the context of Oscar Wilde's life, with mixed results. Written by Micheal Mac Liammoir, the play presents a biographical sketch of the author interspersed with excerpts from Wilde's writing. The excerpts, taken from poetry, prose, and personal letters, are well chosen and demonstrate Wilde's insightful commentary on 19th-century European society. They also suggest the depth and vulnerability of Wilde's nature, his sensitivity to the events and people in his life.

However, the script that connects these excerpts together struggles to justify its own presence in the structure of the play. Although necessary for setting the chronology of excerpts, the script cannot adequately compete with the eloquence of Wilde's own words. True, Wilde did lead an interesting, often humorous, personal life, but simply retelling the major points does not complete the script.

Rather than enhancing the effect and meaning of Wilde's works, the script functions all too often as an inconsequential filler between excerpts that does little to maintain the cohesiveness of the play.

The lack of continuity is some-what remedied by the actress who performs this one-woman play. Winsome Brown takes on the role, not only of the poet, but of his friends and enemies and his fictional characters as well.

Displaying dramatic flexibility in these numerous personae. Brown manages to bring them all together and combine them in her own unique yet chameleon presence. It is only in the role of narrator that she falters and appear somewhat contrived.

Whereas the other personae have their own particular voices, expressions, and mannerisms, the narrator appears somewhat lack. luster and awkward in comparison. Brown resorts to inexplicable stylized poses and gestures that do not project any distinct personality. But again, this weakness in the play seems to be a fault inherent in The Importance of Being Oscar. For the most part, Brown successfully carries the over-whelming burden of presenting an entire play on her own.

Responsible not only for the performance but also for the direction of the play. Brown maximizes the dramatic effect with minimalist staging. The set, designed by James Murdoch, is sparse enough to accomodate the many different kinds of scenes.

In fact, Brown spends most of the time lolling on a central red chaise longue in various postures to suggest the different characters. This simplicity in stage design and action best complements the nature of the play, rather than the later images of Brown spinning among strobe lights accompanied by an echoing voiceover. These special effects detract from the play's strongest point and focus, Wilde's work.

Overall, The Importance of Being Oscar places itself in a difficult position. By highlighting such an intriguing figure and his own engaging work, the play cannot quite meet the challenge of its subject matter. However, it does offer an oblique perspective of Wilde's own fascinating struggles to reconcile the comedy and tragedy of life.