Lake Tahoe Community College's new theater instructor's selection for her first production was a natural.

“The Importance of Being Earnest,” perhaps Oscar Wilde's most popular play, is a clever comedy sure to entertain Duke Theater audiences at seven performances. Furthermore, its theme metaphorically pokes fun at Susan Boulanger's former home: Southern California and Hollywood.

Wilde's play exposed Victorian hypocrisy where the British upper class touts morality but behaves in a different fashion — you've heard of Victoria's secret?

“I see similarities in our celebrity culture,” said Boulanger, who was an adjunct teacher for 13 years at College of the Canyons, Riverside and Mt. San Antonio.

“The Importance of Being Earnest” opened in London on Valentine's Day, Feb. 14, 1895. Its storyline exposes societal foibles and fictitious identities. Although it was Wilde's best-loved play, it closed after just 83 performances. Wilde's gay lover's father, the Marquess of Queensberry, attempt to pelt the playwright with vegetables on opening night was thwarted. But Queensberry later was able to land Wilde in jail and end his writing career.

Despite Wilde's real-life drama, his play “Earnest” has endured for more than a century.

“I always wanted to direct this play,” Boulanger said. “It's brilliantly written, the characters are so colorful and the situations are ridiculous. It's witty and fun.”

Lady Brackness is played by South Tahoe High School theater instructor Liz Niven. Boulanger likened the role to someone stepping in to play King Lear.

“I relate well to (Susan's) style of direction,” Niven said. “She looks at a production as not only a piece of art but as an educational process.”

Niven's son Ethan plays one of the four lead roles. Ethan Niven began acting as an infant, appearing in Harrah's Lake Tahoe's annual presentation of “Scrooge.”
He was in the play 10 years, growing his way up to get the part of Tiny Tim.
Ethan Niven portrays Algernon Moncrieff, who is the friend and rival of Jack Worthing, who is played by Elliott Smart. Smart and Niven say they spent countless hours studying the script, sometimes staying up until 3 a.m. in a booth at Denny's.

“It's really wordy,” said Elliott, who plans to pursue a master's degree in theater arts. “There's lots of lines and dialogue.”

Elliott, who recently moved from the small town of Quincy, said “Earnest” is the first “legitimate” production in which he's been involved.

What has he learned from Boulanger?

“Pretty much everything,” he said.

Dave Hamilton headed the theater department for 19 years. He's now an administrator at Folsom Community College. Rick Bullis was the interim theater chair last season. LTCC was able to pull Boulanger out of Southern California, where she called herself a “freeway flyer.”

“The biggest change for me is there is going to be snow and no Target down the street,” said Boulanger, who manages the Duke Theater, teaches classes, runs the department and oversees three productions a year. “I am using every bit of training and experience I have.”

“Susan brings a great vitality to the program and a well-rounded perspective that is steeped in the L.A. theater scene,” said Diane Rosner, dean of instruction.
LTCC's other plays this school year will be an extremely heavy docu-drama, “The Laramie Project,” and the musical “Footloose.”

Boulanger was impressed with the group who auditioned for the fall play. There are as many students older than 30 at LTCC than there are younger.

“There is a real mix of community members and students,” she said. “They can work with people with more stage and life experience.”

“The Importance of Being Earnest” will be performed during the next two weekends.