Wilde weaves a story replete with societal musings, political positioning, resurfaced loves, lies, and letters. Shelley Bolman plays Sir Robert Chiltern, an English politician who has made a successful career out of being above reproach in the eyes of society and, just as important , in the eyes of his wife, Lady Chiltern. Alicia Kahn, in a darker role than usual, plays Mrs. Cheveley, an unexpected arrival at Chiltern's dinner party intent on debunking Sir Robert's sanctity unless he agrees to publicly support a financial scheme she has hatched.
And so the business of a well-made, and occasionally predictable, play ensues, with Wilde's stylish turns of phrase spouted by several entertaining characters.
The chief onstage spokesman for Wilde's wry musings is Lord Goring, a wealthy bachelor who is Sir Robert 's best friend and holds a past romantic connection to Mrs. Cheveley. Derek Stone Nelson is superb as the subtly aging and overtly self-absorbed cynic, disguising Goring's rather unsettling social observations with the smoothest of deliveries.
The character with arguably the least connection to the plot -- but with the greatest comedic returns -- is Lady Markby, a blue-blooded babbler of the highest order. Charlotte Peed plays Markby perfectly, generating gossipy humor while providing a foil for some of the younger characters in the play.
One of them is Mabel Chiltern, sister to Sir Robert and object of Lord Goring's sideways affection. Kelly Galvin cuts a clear and clever Mabel, one that is distinctly modern for her time. Angie Jepson plays Lady Chiltern, wife to Sir Robert and resident moralist. Although Jepson is slightly miscast, she manages to find a convincing way to portray the character's unswerving idealism.
As Mrs. Cheveley, Kahn provides a vibrant peek at the underbelly of high society. Her strong-willed delivery is overdone at first, but once the play reveals more of her character's story, Kahn's intensity blends in. And when Mrs. Cheveley delivers the line, ``Scandals used to lend charm, or at least interest, to a man, now they crush him," the play resonates with today's political and social news.
