Klein Theatre preview: ‘Lady Windermere’s Fan’

By AMANDA MOTLEY

Oscars Wilde’s play “Lady Windermere’s Fan” is coming to life at Klein Theatre this week with the opening of the University of Mary Washington’s Theatre Department’s production.

“Lady Windermere’s Fan” is a production filled with love, satire and betrayal. Lady Windermere is everything a traditional Victorian woman should be: she has class, status and riches.

The conflict begins when she finds out her husband, Lord Windermere, is inviting another woman, Mrs. Erlynne, to her birthday party. Angered by her husband’s unfaithfulness, Lady Windermere turns to her “immoral” and flirtatious side to make her husband jealous.

Oscar Wilde loves making satirical commentaries on Victorian women and society, which is exactly what this production does.

However, the surprising twist about who Lord Windermere’s true object of affection will leave you on the edge of your seat.

This is the last Klein Theatre production for the 2014-2015 season. In order to prepare for each production, the cast and crew worked for weeks to make sure they deliver the best show possible.

The team worked to make sure they represent the period accurately. Helen Housley, a dialect coach, worked with the cast to make sure they speak in a similar fashion to the era of the play.

“It’s been wonderful. All theatre is collaboration, and I think that is very clear in this show,” said Emily Burke, a senior theatre major. “We have three student designers doing wigs, makeup and lights, as well as our professors doing costumes and sets.”

The cast of the Klein Theatre’s “Lady Windermere’s Fan” includes Burke as Lady Windermere, English and theatre double major Jake Crowley as Lord Windermere and junior theatre major Margaret Lewis as Mrs. Erlynne. The production runs from April 9 through April 19.