The Importance of Being Earnest (Dramatized)

By: Oscar Wilde

Narrated by: James Marsters, Charles Busch, Emily Bergl, Neil Dickson, Jill Gascoine, Christopher Neame, Matthew Wolf

Length: 1 hr and 58 mins

Publisher's summary

This final play from the pen of Oscar Wilde is a stylish send-up of Victorian courtship and manners, complete with assumed names, mistaken lovers, and a lost handbag. Jack and Algernon are best friends, both wooing ladies who think their names are Ernest, "that name which inspires absolute confidence". Wilde's effervescent wit, scathing social satire, and high farce make this one of the most cherished plays in the English language.

Includes an interview with director Michael Hackett, professor of Theater in the School of Theater, Film and Television at UCLA.

An L.A. Theatre Works full cast performance featuring:
James Marsters as Jack
Charles Busch as Lady Bracknell
Emily Bergl as Cecily
Neil Dickson as Lane and Merriman
Jill Gascoine as Miss Prism
Christopher Neame as Chasuble
Matthew Wolf as Algernon
Sarah Zimmerman as Gwendolen

Directed by Michael Hackett. Recorded before a live audience at the Skirball Cultural Center, Los Angeles.

©2009 L.A. Theatre Works (P)2009 L.A. Theatre Works

Entertaining Play

I enjoyed the way this was presented on Audible; it included the audience laughing and the applause, and the various actors narrating the characters made me feel like I was at the play. As far as the content of the play, I thought it was excellent. I liked the story line and laughed throughout. I thought this was highly entertaining and well done.

Breezy, delightful, and fantastic

Very enjoyable production of Oscar Wilde’s most important play. Thoroughly clever, funny, and full of wit.

The inspiration for much that followed.

It was interesting to finally hear this play. You can see almost at once how this story profoundly affected the next fifty years or so of British books, movies, and television.

I though it was the Monty Python crew who had invented that zany kind of comedy. Now, I'd say they just updated and perfected what they learned from this play.

And that too-clever and insanely fast banter of old British movies? Yup, it seems to come from this play as well.

The play is a bit dated now, of course, but was still funny and very fascinating to listen to.

A great play!!! And great fun!!

What about the narrators’s performance did you like?

They are good all as one,did not think I'd like a piece as an audiobook.But I love it, have already listened to it twice.

Well acted and very funny!

What made the experience of listening to The Importance of Being Earnest the most enjoyable?

The actors were wonderful, especially James Marsters! I could really imagine myself in that theater.

What does the narrators bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Hearing it acted out makes it so much funnier. While it is very funny to read there is something spectacular about hearing it acted out.

Wise humor=highly entertaining

I truly enjoyed this audible version of the book/play. The speakers brought to life each character. Their voices also contained the qualities necessary to convey the wise comedic effect intended by Oscar Wilde. I will enjoy listening to it again on a gloomy day for entertainment because it's one of the few that renders it impossible for me to hold back on laughing out loud. Themes in the play include the importance of being earnest, childish innocence in adults overcome with romance, and the questioning/evaluation of social norms.

Entertaining

Very funny, I loved the story and the performance was great. I wish I could have been in the audience.

Does Each Sentence Have Multiple Meanings?

What made the experience of listening to The Importance of Being Earnest the most enjoyable?

The actors were able to convey multiple meanings to the words they spoke through intonation, phrasing, etc. I listened to the performance at least 3 times and noticed more details each time. The interview with the director at the end of the book added perspective to the play.

Who was your favorite character and why?

I really liked Earnest/Jack because his voicing was very distinctive for each of the charactarizations.

Which character – as performed by the narrators – was your favorite?

Earnest/Jack was my favorite male character performer and Cecily was my favorite female character.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

This book was extremely funny. I laughed while listening to the book, and still smile when I recall some of the dialog.

Any additional comments?

Fantastic on multiple levels--great language, great performances, great listen.

Highly Entertaining Story and Performance

This audio version of Wilde's The Importance of Being Earnest is lively and well-acted. It's funny and a listen I didn't want to stop. It's short, so it was easy to listen to it in one go. The actors offered a wonderful, engaging performance. It was always easy to know which character was speaking and the comedy was deftly handled. I felt like I was that proverbial fly on the wall watching the action. I highly recommend this audio book; it's light and entertaining, and just preposterous enough to be believable. Bravo to the author and to the company of actors for combining to create this mirthful interpretation of this classic drawing room comedy.

Wilde has a brilliant way with words!

If you could sum up The Importance of Being Earnest in three words, what would they be?

Society is ridiculous.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Importance of Being Earnest?

The twist ending was so absurd it was wonderful.

Which character – as performed by the narrators – was your favorite?

I love James Marsters so it would have to be Jack Worthing.

Any additional comments?

I really enjoyed this production of The Importance of being Earnest. I had forgotten how brilliant Wilde is at playing with language.