Goodly Creatures: "An Ideal Husband" at Elgin Art Showcase

"It's a very dangerous thing to listen," says Sir Robert Chiltern, the leading man in Oscar Wilde's 1895 play An Ideal Husband. It's but one of hundreds of witty one-liners that speckle this long, wordy script considered one of Wilde's best.

But listen you must, to the vivid characterizations, hilarious contradictions, and covert social observations.

This stalwart cast carried off the four act play with gentle and believable London accents that never distracted, and reeled off sparring dialogues with nary a flubbed line. Slowing the tempo to savor this language would have pushed the play to four hours — a bargain wisely not taken.

Greg Waldyn was brilliantly cast as Sir Chiltern, the flawed and flustered politician with something to hide. Katie McClatchey played a convincing Lady Chevely with a palette of colors — never muted, and sometimes just a tad dark for the upholstery.

Jamie Ewing as Lord Goring (left) and Tom Viskocil as the Earl of Caversham, neither of whom are the ideal husband.

Among many strong performances, Katrina Plonczynski stole a scene as Lady Markby with a delightfully elastic, bombastic delivery. Jamie Ewing brought depth to the two-dimensional Mr. Goring, "the most idle man in London," with his conceited Victorian mansplaining.

You won't notice a little static noise from the P.A. during these scenes of parties, ex partes, and prattles as the Lost Art of Conversation is gloriously revived.

But George Bernard Shaw was right in saying Wilde is "our most thorough playwright; he plays with everything," including props, visual situations and stage movement. Director Rachel Stevens handled this word-heavy script nicely, with just the right amount of action and set design to complement the brilliant writing: exactly what's necessary, and no more.

Set against a plot of political games(wo)manship, the play examines the politics of relationships and the unavoidable hypocrisy of defining ideals in a fallible human society.

An Ideal Husband continues through March 1st at the Elgin Art Showcase, 164 Division Street in downtown Elgin, with shows at 8pm Thursdays thru Saturdays, and 2pm Sundays. For tickets and further information, go to goodlycreatures.com.

Woodstock's Town Square Players: More Than "A Few Good Men"

An organization that relies on command and control in order to function is supposed to be free from drama. Aaron Sorkin's 1989 play A Few Good Men proves that drama can't be avoided within a closed society where men are trained both to cooperate and to fight.

In their last production before merging with Woodstock Musical Theatre Company, the Town Square Players casted 22 actors into nearly 30 roles to perform this powerful two act play Saturday at the Woodstock Opera House. Beginning next season, the two companies will combine to become Theatre 121.

The army of actors displayed military precision in their crisp movements, timing, entrances and scene transitions, but they were not a machine without a soul.

In crucial scenes, Jamie Ewing (Jessep), Derek Hyrkas (Kendrick) and Chris Griffin (Markinson) skillfully revealed the humanity of their characters with body language and accent, even in moments of half-shouted Marine-speak.

Anthony Walker (Dawson) and Nate Kirk (Downey) argued the value of individuality within a unit by portraying distinct characters whose loyalty is a choice based on emotions. It was part of a complex picture of Marine Corps life where standing perfectly still alternates with extreme physical exertion.

Adding to the authenticity of every well-cast role was superb costuming, haircuts and just the right amount of prop and set design.

Subdividing the space of a single stage into multiple storytelling zones is a signature style of director Madeline Franklin's creative vision. Her layering of time and space with foreground and background action, cued by lighting, raises the art to a level beyond what can be noted in a script.

In a leading role made famous by Tom Cruise, Trevor Wilson brought Navy lawyer Daniel Kaffee to life with endearing smugness that gave way to sincerity and conscience; he delivered a clear counterpoint to the rigidity of military society.

Tania Joy brightened every scene with a nuanced performance as Lt. Cmdr. Joanne Galloway, who was never entirely predictable. Her chemistry with Wilson was like a keg of gunpowder: dangerous if it were to explode.

Visiting the beautifully restored Woodstock Opera House is worth the trip, with its art gallery and historic interpretations, but seeing live theatre as it's meant to be seen makes the experience truly authentic.

A Few Good Men continues through June 30th, with shows at 8pm Fridays and Saturdays, and 2pm Sundays. For tickets, go to woodstockoperahouse.com or call the box office at (815) 338-5300.