818 South 2nd Street •
Minneapolis, MN 55415 •
Box Office: 612.377.2224
Commentary: A modern-day story that Oscar Wilde would have recognized too well
Posted on Sep 28, 2009 at 10:49 a.m. by LeeH
A modern-day story that Oscar Wilde would have recognized too well
by Joe Dowling
September 28, 2009
Two events occurring at the Guthrie Theater might seem to have little connection: our current production of Oscar Wilde's "The Importance of Being Earnest" and a reading of "The Laramie Project: 10 Years Later." But the connection is profound. The death of Matthew Shepard in Laramie, Wyo., in 1998 is a brutal reminder that the bigotry, hatred and prejudice that brought Wilde down still exist in our world.
When we look at these two seemingly disparate theatrical events, the same question about the author of one and the subject of the other is urgently raised: "What if?"