“True friends stab you in the front”
Directed by David Belew
A compelling depiction of Irish author and playwright Oscar Wilde (The Importance of Being Earnest) just before and after his imprisonment for “gross indecency” with men.
Act One captures him in 1895 on the eve of his arrest. Oscar Wilde’s career had reached its pinnacle of success. His greatest work, The Importance of Being Earnest, was a sensation in the West End, and he was celebrated across London. He still has a chance to flee to the continent but chooses to let the train leave without him.
In Act Two, penniless and in exile, Wilde is in Naples more than two years later, after his release from the prison Reading Gaol in Berkshire, England. He is drawn to a reunion with his unworthy lover and a final betrayal.
This is a captivating portrait of Oscar Wilde and his willingness to give up his life for an undeserving love.
“Intriguing….What Hare has done here is not to write a narrative but to offer a portrait of Oscar at the end of his once glittering tether…. The dialogue is urbane, stylish and frequently imbued with Oscar like flashes of humor and purplish poetic resonance. But the main thrust is for character and situation: a mood portrait of a fall from grace.” – New York Post
“A moving evocation of the human spirit.” – New York Daily News
“Shifts the heroic focus, emphasizing Wilde less as a martyr of sexual persuasion than as a martyr of love…. That the object of Wilde’s love…is so clearly unworthy of it only makes the sacrifice more noble.” – The New York Times
CONTENT WARNING: Strong adult/sexual situations and nudity. NOT recommended for under 18.
Jefferson L Davis as
Oscar Wilde
Shane Borge as
Arthur Wellesley
Elisha Cullins as
Lord Alfred Bosie Douglas
Carrigan O’Brian as
Phoebe Cane
Dan Church as
Robert Robbie Ross
Joseph Duncan as
Galileo Mosconi
Dale Button as
Sandy Moffatt
David Belew –
Director
Health and Safety Protocols:
- We request that you please stay home if you are not feeling well.
- Wearing a face mask while in the theater is suggested, but not required. Complimentary masks are available.
- The Judas Kiss runs 120 minutes and there will be a 15 min Intermission.
- The Historic Iao Theater’s central air conditioning is set to 74 degrees. The zone above the stage is kept a little cooler for performer safety which may affect the first few rows of the audience. A light jacket or sweater is recommended.
