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An Ideal Husband

Presented by Austin Playhouse at Austin Playhouse

January 12-February 18, 2007

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An Ideal Husband originally opened in London in 1895, immediately prior to Wilde’s most well-known work, The Importance of Being Earnest. As with Earnest, An Ideal Husband offers audiences delightfully comic characters and Wilde’s well-known witty banter. In addition, An Ideal Husband is also a social satire with substance, offering insights on love, betrayal, and trust. Wilde's concerns with publicity and the exposure of dark secrets form the central plot, and this concern is still relevant for modern audiences. An Ideal Husband is a theatrical work of the first order in which Wilde’s wit keeps audiences engaged as he balances an unflinching look at ambition and morality with the suspense of a political thriller. An Ideal Husband opens during party at the home of Lord and Lady Chiltern. Sir Robert Chiltern, a prestigious member of the House of Commons, and his wife are hosting a gathering that includes his friend Lord Goring, a thirty-four year old bachelor who is famous for being a dandy, his sister Mabel Chiltern, and other genteel guests. During the party, Mrs. Cheveley, a former schoolmate of Lady Chiltern, attempts to blackmail Sir Robert in order to drive him to support a fraudulent scheme to build a canal in Argentina, much like the Suez Canal in Egypt. In the face of this blackmail, Sir Robert not only fears the loss of his status in the House of Lords, but also the loss of his wife. Credits: An Ideal Husband is directed by Austin Playhouse Artistic Director, Don Toner, and features a glittering cast of local luminaries led by Gray G. Haddock as Lord Goring, David Stahl as Sir Robert Chiltern, and Jill Blackwood as Mrs. Cheveley, with Janet Hurley Kimlicko as Lady Chiltern, Dirk van Allen as Lord Caversham, Bernadette Nason as Lady Markby, Lara Toner as Mabel Chiltern, Michael Stuart as Phipps, Huck Huckaby as Mason, Margaret Hoard as Mrs. Marchmont, Amber Dupuy as Lady Basildon, Ben Wolfe as the Vicomte de Nanjac, and Zach Thompson as Mr. Montford.