Tom Jacobson's 2005 comedy not only gives Bunbury, the fictional figure invented by the two swinging bachelors in Oscar Wilde's The Importance of Being Earnest, a first name (Edgar); it brings him to life. Another unseen literary figure, Rosaline of Romeo and Juliet, appears at Bunbury's home. He's convinced Algernon is playing a practical joke on him. Once Rosaline has convinced him that he too is the product of someone's imagination, he sets out to confront Algernon, whom he's in love with, and Algy's pal Jack.
Had Jacobson stuck to lampooning the works of Oscar Wilde, his play -- which is part rehash, part sequel, and part parody of Earnest -- could have been outstanding. Instead he creates something along the lines of Jeff Whitty's The Further Adventures of Hedda Gabler in which fictional characters -- in this case, Bunbury and Rosaline -- cavort from one literary work to another, upsetting the apple cart of each and upending centuries of literary tradition. The Three Sisters, Waiting for Godot, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, and more are parodied in half-hearted spoofs here, as scene after scene ends not in a bang but in a whimper. Considering what a weak hand he has to play, director Robert Craig musters an impressive number of well-placed, well-timed laughs, primarily through the strengths of a cast whose light comedy skills are supreme. Stephen Peirick's Bunbury, David Rusiecki's Jack, and Jim Felton's Algernon show us just how superficial and trivial are Wilde's characters. As Rosaline, Daina Baker Bowler's comedic talents are sharply defined, augmented by her resemblance to Reese Witherspoon. The tone is one of camp, and the quotient of literary in-jokes is high. In their travels, Bunbury and Rosaline discover that the happiness of literary characters is sacrificed for the sake of great literature. Pity that Bunbury isn't able to provide the sort of big payoff its characters deserve.
Presented by Long Beach Playhouse at the Long Beach Playhouse Studio Theatre, 5021 E. Anaheim St., Long Beach.
Fri.-Sat. 8 p.m. (Also Sun. 2 p.m. Apr. 27, May 18 & 25.) Apr. 18-May 31.
(562) 494-1014. www.lbph.com.