An Ideal Husband Review

Let me start off by congratulating everyone who was involved in the Bridgewater State College production of Oscar Wilde's "An Ideal Husband." I thought the show was engaging, funny, and a true showcase of talent. It was abundantly clear the amount of time and effort that was put into the play and it made for an incredibly enjoyable experience. The play centers around the lives of Sir Robert Chiltern, a politician, and Lord Arthur Goring. Chiltern lives a charmed life due to his loving wife Gertrude and clever sister Mabel. Goring spends. his days flirting with Mabel and ignoring his father's wishes about finding a wife. Things take a turn for the worse when an old flame, Mrs. Cheveley, resurface with intentions of blackmail. Chiltern stands to lose everything important to him. Will he be able to save his reputation and his marriage?

My one and only criticism of the show is in regard to the dancing at the beginning of the play. While I understand and respect the choice made, I thought the amount of dancing was too much. One or two small numbers would have set the mood of the play perfectly. I think the continual dancing just dragged on and took away from a lot of the text.

Having said that, I thought that the dancing was only a minor issue compared to all the other great points about the play. The costuming and scenery involved in this play was absolutely gorgeous and perfectly suited for this particular show. The acting talent was refreshing and the guest appearance of Rob Rota, who played Viscount Goring, was exciting. The chemistry between Rota and Melanie Bernier, who played Lady Cheveley, was inspiring and enthralling to watch.

All in all, I enjoyed this play very much. It was three hours long and I thought the actors did an amazing job at capturing the audience and making the time fly by. The chemistry between the cast combined with the amazing set and costumes really brought out this period piece so well.

For those on campus who didn't get a chance to see the play, you were truly missing out. It had comedy, drama, friendship, blackmail, and everything in between. Well done.