Stage Write

You can’t beat Oscar Wilde when it comes to witty dialogue. The playwright mastered the art form of clever repartee and The Importance of Being Earnest is the best example of that talent. EclecticPond’s recent production of this fun comedy demonstrated this playful banter perfectly. The show is set in the 1990s instead of the 19th century and the modern take is a fun twist. Two bachelors, Jack and Algernon, both find themselves pretending to be someone they are not in order to get what they want. Their actions cause confusion and cat fights when two ladies, Gwendolen and Cecily find themselves falling for the fictional “Earnest.” The two women steal the show. Cecily Cardew is played by the sassy Jaddy Ciucci. She flirts and sighs as any good infatuated young lady should. Lisa Anderson’s fawning and shallow Gwendolen Fairfax is just as hilarious. Though Algernon Moncrieff (Patrick Mullen) and Jack Worthing (Carey Shea) are both fun, it’s the women’s performances that partic

Into the Woods begins as any good story should with Once Upon a Time. The famous musical reintroduces us to well-known fairy tale characters. We meet Cinderella, Jack (and his bean stalk), Rapunzel and Little Red Riding Hood at the beginning of their stories. The second half takes a look at a different ending for those we left with their “happily ever after.” These are not the sanitized fairy tales found in Disney films. They are instead a dark picture of what might have happened when the story book closed and our characters were left to settle into their chosen lives. Our main character is a mild-mannered Baker. He and his clever wife, Susie Harloff, are childless after being cursed by a local witch. She tells them they can cure their state by going on a quest and gathering four strange items. This journey leads the baker to cross paths with the other fairy tale characters. Harloff is great as his frustrated partner in crime, helping him achieve his goals behind the scenes.