A WOMAN OF NO IMPORTANCE Taproot Theatre January 28, 2023 Eclectic Arts Media
A Woman Of No Importance
By Oscar Wilde
Directed by Karen Lund
Taproot Theatre Company
Seattle, WA
Review: Saturday 1/28/23 - 8pm Performance
A new season for the Taproot Theatre Company out of the Greenwood neighborhood of Seattle, WA began with “A Woman Of No Importance” by Oscar Wilde. This is the first full season on the schedule with Karen Lund at the helm as the Producing Artistic Director. She was also the director of this play and has directed many of my favorite Taproot shows. As a side note the first show I ever reviewed at Taproot was another Oscar Wilde play back in 2018 so I felt a bit of nostalgia as I set foot in the Jewel Mainstage Theatre anticipating a new Oscar Wilde production by Taproot.
I was immediately drawn to the scenes where there were two actors on stage. From Act I with Gerald Arbuthnot (played by William Eames) and Lord Illingworth (played by Aaron Lamb), the back and forth dialogue between the two actors worked well on many levels. The same could be said for Act II with Gerald Arbuthnot and his mother Mrs. Rachel Arbuthnot (played by Candace Vance) as well as the Lord Illingworth and Mrs. Rachel Arbuthnot scene(s). The two character scenes were at times absolutely exquisite.
The ensemble scenes were hit and miss, which was an odd thing to observe. I can’t recall the last time when there was such a divide between larger ensemble scenes and 1:1 cast scenes in terms of how well they worked (or didn’t in some cases). I believe that, knowing the talent involved, the ensemble scenes will start to gel and improve as the run continues.
I tend to go back to the old “would I see it again” question whenever I write reviews. In the case of “A Woman Of No Importance” I would see it but with reservations.
Taproot Theatre is definitely in a period of transition for this reviewer. I used to be able to count on the quality of their shows being on a certain high level, regardless whether it resonated with me or not. But now there is an air of shall I say cautious optimism that the next new show will resonate and bring back those feelings of joy that I used to be able to count on without fail in previous seasons.
Don’t get me wrong, I still look forward to reviewing the shows at Taproot - I don’t believe I’ve missed a single show since I started reviewing shows there in 2018. And some shows I’ve seen more than once, bringing family and friends back to witness what I thought was so brilliantly done. The last show where this occurred was “See How They Run” - nearly a year ago.
C’mon Taproot Theatre - I’m rooting for you to get back to hitting the theatre equivalent of homeruns. All the pieces are in place and I want to be able to tell everyone again to go see Taproot’s latest show, with zero reservations.
“A Woman Of No Importance” runs through February 25th. Tickets are available here: TICKETS!
Best,
Mark Sugiyama
Eclectic Arts Media
Connect with Eclectic Arts Media: Social Media Links Here
By Oscar Wilde
Directed by Karen Lund
Taproot Theatre Company
Seattle, WA
Review: Saturday 1/28/23 - 8pm Performance
(Aaron Lamb and Candace Vance in A Woman of No Importance at Taproot Theatre Company. Photo by Robert Wade.)
A new season for the Taproot Theatre Company out of the Greenwood neighborhood of Seattle, WA began with “A Woman Of No Importance” by Oscar Wilde. This is the first full season on the schedule with Karen Lund at the helm as the Producing Artistic Director. She was also the director of this play and has directed many of my favorite Taproot shows. As a side note the first show I ever reviewed at Taproot was another Oscar Wilde play back in 2018 so I felt a bit of nostalgia as I set foot in the Jewel Mainstage Theatre anticipating a new Oscar Wilde production by Taproot.
I was immediately drawn to the scenes where there were two actors on stage. From Act I with Gerald Arbuthnot (played by William Eames) and Lord Illingworth (played by Aaron Lamb), the back and forth dialogue between the two actors worked well on many levels. The same could be said for Act II with Gerald Arbuthnot and his mother Mrs. Rachel Arbuthnot (played by Candace Vance) as well as the Lord Illingworth and Mrs. Rachel Arbuthnot scene(s). The two character scenes were at times absolutely exquisite.
The ensemble scenes were hit and miss, which was an odd thing to observe. I can’t recall the last time when there was such a divide between larger ensemble scenes and 1:1 cast scenes in terms of how well they worked (or didn’t in some cases). I believe that, knowing the talent involved, the ensemble scenes will start to gel and improve as the run continues.
(Rebecca M. Davis and Candace Vance in A Woman of No Importance at Taproot Theatre Company. Photo by Robert Wade.)
I tend to go back to the old “would I see it again” question whenever I write reviews. In the case of “A Woman Of No Importance” I would see it but with reservations.
Taproot Theatre is definitely in a period of transition for this reviewer. I used to be able to count on the quality of their shows being on a certain high level, regardless whether it resonated with me or not. But now there is an air of shall I say cautious optimism that the next new show will resonate and bring back those feelings of joy that I used to be able to count on without fail in previous seasons.
Don’t get me wrong, I still look forward to reviewing the shows at Taproot - I don’t believe I’ve missed a single show since I started reviewing shows there in 2018. And some shows I’ve seen more than once, bringing family and friends back to witness what I thought was so brilliantly done. The last show where this occurred was “See How They Run” - nearly a year ago.
C’mon Taproot Theatre - I’m rooting for you to get back to hitting the theatre equivalent of homeruns. All the pieces are in place and I want to be able to tell everyone again to go see Taproot’s latest show, with zero reservations.
“A Woman Of No Importance” runs through February 25th. Tickets are available here: TICKETS!
Best,
Mark Sugiyama
Eclectic Arts Media
Connect with Eclectic Arts Media: Social Media Links Here
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