Month: February 2023

Elevator Thoughts (aka Tweet): A Woman of No Importance Oscar Wilde play at Taproot Theatre followed by a charming English tea reception from Lá Liath Bakery. Felt like Downton Abbey and Jane Austen. Bretteney Beverly delightfully reminded me of Dowager Countess Crawley. Pinkies up! #theatre #British

Synopsis from the Theatre: Gerald’s prospects are bright as he celebrates his new position with the notorious Lord Illingworth. But amidst the glittering banter at Lady Hunstanton’s party, a long buried scandal is revealed. Will the unveiling of Gerald’s lineage change the trajectory of his future? And what of the lovely American who’s captured his heart? This comedic classic from Oscar Wilde will charm you with its cleverness and wit.

Reviewed Performance: 1/27/23 Opening Performance – Sorry for the late review. I’ve been busy with my dad in town.

Type: Play

World Premiere: No

Awards: Zero? For such a classic play, I’m surprised. Let me know in my social media posts if this play garnered any awards.

Film: Several film adaptations of the play, which is a good sign in my book

Defined Plot/Storyline: There was not an extensive storyline but there was a climax. The entire play was only 4 scenes.

Recommendation: See it if you like Downton Abbey or Jane Austen. Bonus points if you can easily understand what they’re saying in Shakespeare plays.

Was This the First Time I Saw a Production of this Show: Yes

Rating Compared to Other Shows with the Same Production Value:
4.5 Stars (Out of 5 Stars)

Equity Actors: Two but most of them were very good

Number of Actors: 11

Length (Including Any Intermission): 2.5 hours

Intermission: Yes

Other Rave(s) Not Mentioned in Elevator Thoughts

• Digs on Americans: The English characters frequently poked fun at American culture. It reminded me of how New York City plays and musicals frequently tells jokes about New Jersey.
• Acting: The actors’ expressions, reactions, and responses were well-timed. It’s probably due to both good writing and good acting.
• Act Endings: Act one closed with a great dramatic climactic sequence/reveal that compelled the audience to stay for the second act. Act two (the last act) ended with a nice closing line that wrapped up the play in a tidy bow.
• Set Change: Usually productions try to hide busy set changes in the dark. This production showcased the stage magic in the middle of act two when they transformed the walls. The audience even clapped for that!
• Favorite Line: “Men marry because they are tired; women, because they are curious; both are disappointed.” I feel like there were more witty adages but this is the only one I could remember.
• English Tea Reception: Lá Liath Bakery provided classic British finger foods for opening night reception including cucumber cream cheese sandwiches, shortbread, scones, dodgers, and “biscuits.”

Rant(s)

• Too Many Characters: Oscar Wilde introduced too many characters at the beginning of the play. If was difficult keeping track of everyone on-stage and who they were gossiping about. At the end of the day, half of the characters weren’t essential to the story.

Other Musing(s)

• Mental Energy: Maybe I didn’t eat my Wheaties that day but this play was difficult to follow, especially in the beginning. To be fair, I already struggle following British English, whether it be modern, old (like Jane Austen), or really old (like Shakespere). I could clearly understand the American character though! It doesn’t help that English humor can be very sly. But the audience didn’t seem to experience my problem. They seemed to gather much more than I did since they laughed at many jokes I missed. Maybe this play is for smarter, more highbrow patrons! After I sorted out all the characters by the middle of act one, I began to enjoy the play more especially since that’s when the conflict started, and the storyline became simpler for commonfolk like myself! 😛

Theatre Company: Taproot Theatre

Venue: Taproot Theatre

Venue Physical Address: 204 N 85th St, Seattle, WA 98103

Price: Medium

Ticket Affordability Options: Pay what you can days and GoldStar

Dates: January 25 – February 25, 2023

Seating: Assigned Seating

Parking: Paid lot or usually-free street parking. I almost always find free street parking on Greenwood Ave just South of the theatre.

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Buy a Ticket or Learn More:

• https://www.taproottheatre.org/shows/2023/a-woman-of-no-importance/
• Program

Other Video +/- Pictures: See below pictures under video and in video by Robert Wade

Cast and Production Team: See below video

@showsiveseen "A Woman of No Importance" #OscarWilde #play at @taproottheatre w/ a charming #English tea reception from La Liath Bakery. Very #DowntonAbbey & #JaneAusten. @brettbeverly delightfully reminded me of Dowager Countess Crawley. Pinkies up! Review: showsiveseen.com/3640 #theatre #British ♬ Vivaldi "Four Seasons" "Spring" – harryfaoki

Role	Name
Lady Caroline Pontefract	Bretteney Beverly *
Hester Worsley	Juliette Jones
Sir John Pontefract	Tyler Campbell
Lady Hunstanton	Rebecca M. Devis
Gerald Arbuthnot	Will Eames
Mrs. Allonby	Nikki Visel
Lady Stutfield/Alice	Melanie Hampton
Mr.Kelvil	Bill Johns
Lord Illingworth	Aaron Lamb *
Mrs. Rachel Arbuthnot	Candace Vance
Archdeacon Daubney	Nolan Palmer
—	—
Lady Caroline/Lady Hunstanton (Understudy)	Cailtin Frances
Hester Worsley/Lady Stutfield/Alice (Understudy)	Audrey Herold
Sir Pontefract/Mr. Kelvil/Archdeacon Daubney (Understudy)	Jeff Church
Gerald Arbuthnot (Understudy)	Koo Park
Mrs. Arbuthnot/Mrs. Allonby (Understudy)	Charissa J. Adams
Lord Illingworth (Understudy)	Brian Pucheu
—	—
Playwright	Oscar Wilde
Director	Karen Lund **
Assistant Director	Brad Lo Walker
Scenic & Sound Design	Mark Lund
Costume Design	Jocelyne Fowler
Lighting Design	Michael Wellborn
Fight Choreographer	Christopher Kidder-Mostrom **
Stage Manager	Claire Stark *
Dramaturg	Sonja Lowe
Dialect Coach	Alyssa Keene
—	—
Property Master	Andrea Spraycar
Assistant Stage Manager	Grace Heller *
Casting Consultant	Jessica Spencer
Casting Associate	Pilar O’Connell
Dresser	Luna McMeen
Draper	Martha Mitchell
Stitchers	Veronica Dimoff, Scìan Hayes
Wig Designer	Joyce Degenfelder
Wig Specialist	Juliette Lewis
Master Electrician	Aiyana Stephens
Scenic Carpenter	Tim Samland *
Light Board Operator	Clint Bull
Sound Board Operator	Marty Sisk
Electricians	Kathryn Louise, Jacob Viramontes
Scenic Strike/Load-In	Jasmine Cote **** Chandler Eichele **** Tamir Lehrer ****