Kicking off Taproot Theatre’s 2023 Jewell Mainstage Season this winter is Oscar Wilde’s comedic classic, A Woman of No Importance.
As relevant today as it was when it was first staged 130 years ago, the play looks at the way that society upholds double standards and subverts the very things that other stories of its era endorsed.
Directed by Taproot’s Producing Artistic Director, Karen Lund, the show opens on January 27, 2023 and runs through February 25, 2023. Gerald’s prospects are bright as he celebrates his new position with the notorious Lord Illingworth. But amidst the glittering banter at Lady Hunstanton’s party, a long-buried scandal is revealed. Will the unveiling of Gerald’s lineage change the trajectory of his future?
And what of the lovely American who’s captured his heart? This comedic classic from Oscar Wilde will charm you with its cleverness and wit. “In his comedies, Wilde laughs at the hypocrisies of the British elite in the 1890s,” said Lund. “A Woman of No Importance involves Lord Illingsworth, who is a rake. Many years ago, he seduced a young woman with a promise of forever love. But he refused to marry her when she became pregnant. She paid the price for their affair. But in a society that is indulgent of men who sow their wild oats, scandal can’t damage him. In this play, we find an older Lord Illingsworth at a weekend house party, still chasing the ladies. He wants to have his cake and eat it too. And that’s where Wilde comes in and upends the way things are done.”
A Woman of No Importance is the fourth and final of Oscar Wilde’s comedies that Taproot’s Producing Artistic Director Karen Lund will have directed. She first directed The Importance of Being Earnest in 2007, followed by An Ideal Husband in 2011 and Lady Windermere’s Fan in 2018. “A Woman of No Importance is part of a canon of Wilde’s incredible wit. What’s so great about it is that it plays with all the ideas that are in the other three,” Lund said. “This play was one of the most modern pieces of its time when it premiered in 1893. Wilde managed to poke fun at the very people who paid to sit in the seats, and he got them to laugh, too, as he gave them a compelling story that addresses grace, humanity, and forgiveness, as well as responsibility and sacrifice—things that are as relevant in our society today as they were in Wilde’s time.” “In the way that Wilde addressed sacrifice and revenge--particularly involving Mrs. Arbuthnot, who would be the title’s “woman of no importance”—he was doing something subversive that was pushing the envelope during his time,” Lund said. “I won’t give any spoilers, but he refused to play into what was considered the assumed ‘happy ending’ of his day.”
Lund directs Bretteney Beverly, Rebecca M. Davis, Will Eames, Melanie Hampton, Bill Johns, Juliette Jones, Aaron Lamb, Nolan Palmer, Candace Vance, and Nikki Visel. Tickets are available online at taproottheatre.org, by phone at 206.781.9707 (Tue-Sat, noon5:00 PM), or in person at 204 N 85th St. Ticket prices range from $25-56 with discounts available for students, seniors, active military, 25 & Under and TeenTix members. Accessible ticket prices are also available on TodayTix.
Discounts are also available for groups of 8 or more by calling 206.781.9708 or by visiting taproottheatre.org/group-sales. SPECIAL DATES FOR THE AUDIENCE Pay What You Can (PWYC): February 1 at 7:30 PM; a limited number of $10 tickets are available at noon, tickets may be purchased in person or by phone (card fees may apply).
Beginning at 5:00 PM, tickets are name-your-own-price; these tickets may be purchased in person only. Limit 4 tickets per person. Seating for PWYC performances is General Admission, there is no reserved seating. If you have accessible seating needs please call the Box Office directly. Senior Matinees: January 31 and February 22 at 2:00 PM; Taproot’s Senior Matinee program provides anyone aged 62 and older with an affordable way to participate in live theatre in convenient daytime performances.
Both performances will feature a post-play discussion, immediately following the show. Intergenerational Matinee: February 8 at 10:30 AM; With $10 student/chaperone tickets, printed educational play guides, and a guided post-play discussion, our Intergenerational Matinee enhances student education, providing theatre as a tool and springboard for learning, growth and communication. Senior ticket price: $20.
