‘An Ideal Husband’ outshines rest of theater season’s shows

The IU Department of Theatre and Drama’s production of “An Ideal Husband” at the Ruth N. Halls Theatre stood out as the best of the season thus far for its appreciative, unpretentious approach to Oscar Wilde’s play.

“An Ideal Husband” tells the story of a successful, respected aristocrat named Lord Chiltern, played by Eric Young. When the manipulative Mrs. Cheveley, played by Abby Rowold, threatens Chiltern with his own unsavory past, he suffers the resentment of his eternally moral wife.

To make his fortune, Chiltern sold government secrets, but with the help of his best friend, he strives to save his reputation and the happiness of his marriage.

Despite its solemn premise, the play is a comedy of hysterical proportions.
In addition to an engaging plot, the comparison of the different ways in which men and women show their love for one another prompts questions that are as relevant today as in the Victorian period.

Through his play, Wilde warns audience members of the human tendency to harbor delusions of perfection for their lovers. The effects can be more destructive than complimentary for a romantic relationship.

The first act followed a suspenseful formula – hero is threatened, hero frets, secrets are revealed, all seems lost – but that broke off at intermission. The second act veered into farce with silly misunderstandings and evil plots gone wrong. The discrepancy between acts was only momentarily jarring, as the fast-paced plot and witty dialogue surged through the two-and-a-half-hour show.

Although the characters in “An Ideal Husband” are wonderfully written, the talented cast lent believability to a way of life that is no longer familiar to modern theatergoers.

Matthew Buffalo, who played Lord Goring, was unfailingly funny as the joke-cracking flirt, while Sarah Fischer earned the audience’s sympathy as Lady Chiltern, the under-appreciated wife.

Seamus M. Bourne’s scenic set design was simple and lovely. The sets lacked much of the flashiness that was popular during the era, but the set still managed to capture the finery of an expensive, urban English residence at the time.

This works to good spacial effects. The bevy of costumes, designed by Erica Griese, were impressive in their own right and masterfully manned by the actors. The costumes added the final touch – the result here is not illusion so much as brief time travel back to the days of weekend banquets and scandals whispered behind fluttering fans.

Immortal humor, relatable characters and compelling situations combined to form a masterpiece. For a time when society aspired to be charming and clever, “An Ideal Husband” brims with an abundance of both.