The Excaliber Shakespeare Company of Chicago's 1995 100th Anniversary Revival Production of Oscar Wilde's The Importance of Being Earnest

One of Play Director Darryl Maximilian Robinson's Most Favorite Assignments Was Staging The Excaliber Shakespeare Company's 1995 100th Anniversary Revival Production of The Marvelous Oscar Wilde's The Importance of Being Earnest With A Multiracial Cast At The Hidden Stages Theatre of Chicago[]

"Director Darryl Maximilian Robinson emphasizes the more farcical aspects of the plot. The performances, played in a melange of natural accents, range from Kelvin Blunt's Chicago-style Algernon Moncrieff to Phillip Gibbs' downstage John Worthing to Doris Craig Norris' deep-south Lady Bracknell to the exquisite Myra Oiga's Filipino Cecily. The Scott Joplin incidental music ( performed by Dick Haymes and James Levine ) gives the action a silent movie giddiness." -- Mary Shen Barnidge, The Chicago Reader, January 26, 1995.

Some 27 years ago, during January and February of 1995, Excaliber Shakespeare Company of Chicago Founder, Artistic Director, Producer and Principal Actor Darryl Maximilian Robinson experienced one of his all-time favorite directing assignments when he staged a 100th anniversary revival production of the brilliantly witty Oscar Wilde's The Importance of Being Earnest for the ESC with a multiracial cast at The Hidden Stages Theatre of Chicago, just outside of the Chinatown neighborhood of The Windy City . Mr. Robinson was blessed to have a gifted cast headed by Joseph Jefferson Citation Award-winning actress Doris Craig Norris as Lady Bracknell, joined on stage by Phillip Gibbs and Kevin Adair alternating as John P. Worthing, Kelvin Blunt and Daniel Grillo alternating as Algernon Moncrieff, Myra Oiga as Cecily Cardew, Andrew Beaman as The Reverend Canon Frederick Chasuble, D.D., Bridget Taylor as Miss Laetitia Prism, Jason Michael Taylor as Lane and Gregory Christopher Armstrong as Merriman. The production earned critical praise and was well received by Windy City theatregoers. It is significant to note, however, that during the run of the production, leading lady Norris had to miss a performance as Lady Bracknell. And since no other performer was available at the time who knew all the role's lines and all the role's blocking, Darryl Maximilian Robinson played the part of Lady Bracknell for one, sold-out Sunday matinee ( during which Ms. Norris showed up late in the show...and took notes). At the end of the ESC's 1995 season at Hidden Stages Theatre of Chicago ( which also included Mr. Robinson directing and appearing as Duke Prospero in a multiracial revival staging of William Shakespeare's The Tempest ), Darryl Maximilian Robinson received a 1995 Certificate of Recognition from WKKC Radio Chicago's Critic Corner Producer and Co-Host Bill Lattin, acknowledging his 20 Years of Service To The American Theatre.

AN EARNEST DIRECTOR ALUM'S UPDATE!:

Darryl Maximilian Robinson has become noted as the very first black actor in American Theatre History to portray on stage a trio of classic dramatic roles including: Sir Thomas More in Robert Bolt's "A Man For All Seasons" ( in a 1984 revival presented by The University Players of The University of Missouri-St. Louis and directed by AEA Member John Grassilli at The Benton Hall Theater ); King Henry II in a 1992 multiracial cast revival of James Goldman's "The Lion In Winter" ( directed by Mr. Robinson for his chamber theatre Excaliber Productions, Ltd in St. Louis and staged at The Wabash Triangle Cafe ); and Andrew Wyke ( opposite the talented actor Sean Nix as Milo Tindle ) in a 2000, 30th Anniversary, all-black cast revival of Anthony Shaffer's "Sleuth" presented under Mr. Robinson's direction by his chamber theatre The Excaliber Shakespeare Company of Chicago at The Harrison Street Galleries Studio Theatre of Oak Park, Illinois. Most recently, Darryl Maximilian Robinson was named a winner of a 2022 Making The World Happening Award for his numerous online theatre-related offerings at Allevents.in

https://www.broadwayworld.com/los-angeles/article/VIDEO-Darryl-Maximilian-Robinson-Performs-Two-Versions-of-The-Bards-St-Crispins-Day-Speech-in-LA-20191226

https://patch.com/illinois/chicago/calendar/event/20191231/713099/until-dec-31-2019-the-public-may-go-online-vote-for-drood

Darryl_Maximilian_Robinson_Rehearses_Bard's_St._Crispin's_Day_Speech_At_LA's_Lincoln_Heights_Jail!-1576976938 — Darryl Maximilian Robinson Rehearses Bard's St. Crispin's Day Speech At LA's Lincoln Heights Jail!-1576976938

Darryl_Maximilian_Robinson_Presents_Bard's_St._Crispin's_Day_Speech_In_LA_(_The_Inside_Rendition_)!-1577079988 — Darryl Maximilian Robinson Presents Bard's St. Crispin's Day Speech In LA ( The Inside Rendition )!-1577079988

This theatre article is provided in acknowledgement of 2019: The Year of Chicago Theatre and as part of The Excaliber Shakespeare Company Los Angeles Archival Project.

https://www.alignable.com/los-angeles-ca/the-excaliber-shakespeare-company-los-angeles-archival-project