The cast of Players' "Importance of Being Earnest."
"Importance of Being Earnest," arguably Oscar Wilde's funniest comedy, opens at the Village Players Jan. 22. Audiences who saw Players' 1977 production remember this classic fondly as one of its best productions.
That production featured Joyce McGookey of Royal Oak as the ingenue, Cecily. In this production, Joyce is in the older role of "Miss Prism." But fellow cast members contend the still youthful looking McGookey could again be cast as the ingenue.
A member of Village Players since 1974, the role of Cecily was McGookey's first appearance on stage at Village Players. It remains her favorite role, but she is enjoying development of the prim-and-proper older woman who excites the attention of the Rev. Cannon Chasuble, played by Ferndale resident Greg Bowman, familiar to many as the Mid-day News Anchor on WWJ Radio in Detroit.
Playing Cecily in the new production is Katie Jensen of Rochester Hills. "I am thrilled to play this role, as Oscar Wilde is one of my favorite playwrights," she said in a press release.
Kate E. Rasmussen of Troy, who plays the sophisticated Gwendolyn, is a graduate of Western Michigan's Music Theatre Performance program. Ramussen, who usually performs in musicals, said, " I am excited to be cast in my first straight show in nine years – and a great role!"
Oscar Wilde was known for writing great roles for women, and among them is the indomitable Lady Bracknell, played by Valerie Mould. Although the whole cast will play their roles with English accents, Mould is the only one who comes by one naturally. The British native is a freelance choreographer, who just completed directing the dancers in Village Players' last production, "Hello, Dolly."
And as good as the women's roles are in "Earnest," the men's are at least their equal. As the two young men who woo ladies and comment on the manners of the day, Marc Rosati and Jeff Davison enjoy a bonanza of lines, bound to cause laugh-out-loud moments and big smiles.
