"The Importance of Being Earnest" at @ Artists Rep

I am glad that I waited to write my review of "The Importance of Being Earnest" until today, because in-between seeing it on Saturday and now, I read an article about the controversy surrounding the "non-traditional" casting of "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf" at Portland's Shoebox Theatre. This controversy is making national-news, due to the Albee Estate's refusal to grant the rights to the play because of the mixed-racial casting. Of particular resonance to me was a brief mention in the article of the casting of an actress with Muscular Dystrophy in the role of Laura in "The Glass Menagerie" currently running on Broadway, and Rex Reed's truly nauseating criticism of that decision.

Which leads me to "Earnest," and Artist's Rep's choice to have an all-female cast. The other local production with non-traditional casting that comes to mind is PCS's recent "Streetcar" with an all-black cast. I will admit to having initial misgivings about that idea, given that one must totally ignore that the action takes place on a former cotton-plantation and everything that conjures-up. But, in that play, as with "Earnest," the novelty of the casting disappeared within minutes. I honestly almost forgot. I think this speaks to the skill of the performers, above all else. Part of me finds my lack of reaction superficial, that I should have seen something in the "difference" of the casting in either show, to have "learned something" from the new perspective, but another part of me says that what is truly profound is seeing no difference at all. The best "difference" in theatre is that the show is different every night. For example, Ayanna Berkshire, as Algie, got the giggles pretty badly on Opening Night, while forcing the butler to take the blame for not procuring the cucumber sandwiches for the guests, while in reality she herself had eaten them all prior to the guest arrival. It is unlikely any other performer, regardless of gender, would have done precisely that thing at that very moment, and that is the essence of live theatre.