The Importance of Being Earnest

This is, when well done, perhaps the greatest and funniest comedy in the English language, even to this day. An outrageously hilarious satire on the entire English class system and at the same time a raucous drawing room comedy, it can be, with a great cast led by a great director who understands the style and the manner in which the dozens of Wilde one-line gems should be delivered, I am hard-pressed a funnier comedy.

Check out the 1950s film version of the play with the great Dame Edith Evans if you can.

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Updated On: 11/2/04 at 11:33 PM

I think its one of those shows you need to see live to really appreciate. At least thats how it was for me. MSU did a production of it last fall and it was hysterically funny. The movie version with Colin Firth and Rupert Everett is pretty good, too.

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Even better, if I may add, is the radio recording that starred the cast that went on to make the film. When she says "A HANDBAG???", I swear she broke the microphone.

It's a marvelous play, but like so many things, an acquired taste, in some respects. It's a comedy about language, not people slamming doors. And if you dont like plays about language, you wont like EARNEST.

Of course, you probably dont like Shakespeare either, but that's just a guess. :)

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lol...I'm afraid a few of the jokes were way over my head too. My friend and I (15 years old), were doing the "way over my head" hand motion through-out the whole show. When the audience would laugh, we'd...pretend to get it and just laugh in a very sarcastic way. haha-I did get many of the jokes in Act II though.. My favorite line from the show was when the woman's mother says something like, "Oh, 1 parent lost seems like a missfortune..2 parents lost seems...irresponisble."

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The thing is, Parks, is that it isn't a "joke" play. There are hysterical lines, such as the one you mention, but they're not jokes per se. They're taking an already absurd situation and pushing it to its completely illogical limits, and because of that, it's a riot. During the whole scene where Jack is interviewed by Lady Bracknell and the discussion of his supposed abandonment comes up, he points out that the place where he was left was on the Brighton Line, with the implication that this is a truly good (read "upscale") rail line. Her response -- "The line is immaterial!" -- in context is incredibly funny, even though I'd be really hard pressed to tell you why. It just is.

It's a shame we dont have folks who toy with the language with the same style Wilde did. It's tough writing because in order for it to work, you have to make it sound like it was passed off as a slight bauble of a bon mot. That's hard to do. Probably the closest thing we have (or had, rather) is WHAT THE BUTLER SAW and almost anything from the early career of Tom Stoppard (from the days of JUMPERS and TRAVESTIES, before he got too serious about himself).

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Unfortunately, I saw the original film version first and have never seen a stage production that could do the show justice. I watched about 15 minutes of the new film and turned it off. I've pretty much given up on any production other than the original film, which is simply perfect.

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Old British comedy is something you either "get" or you don't. It's certainly not suited to young Americans of today, although I happen to love it!

Read the story in English lit class. Very funny.

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Oh Damn! I've butter on my cuffs!