An Ideal Husband

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After a several year hiatus, The Storm Theatre, one of the last classical theater companies left in New York, is back with an elegant and polished production of Oscar Wilde’s rarely seen comedy-drama An Ideal Husband staged by artistic director Peter Dobbins. While Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest is well known to theatergoers, An Ideal Husband, last since on Broadway in 1985, is not but ought to be better known. This play of political corruption and moral turpitude seems more relevant than ever with the number of government scandals in our news daily. As witty as Wilde’s most famous play, An Ideal Husband also has an involving plot and colorful characters.

At a musical and political evening at the London home of Sir Robert Chiltern, the Under-Secretary for Foreign Affairs, an admired member of the British government, and his wife, the equally upright Lady Chiltern, Sir Robert is confronted with an indiscretion from his past: a mysterious Englishwoman, Mrs. Cheveley currently of Vienna, reveals that she knows the basis of his fortune is having sold a government secret 18 years ago and she has the proof to back it up. In return for his letter from all those years ago, she wants him to withdraw his objection to the Argentine Canal Company which he has previously called a swindle and instead make a speech in the House of Commons supporting it. (She and her friend have invested heavily in this dubious undertaking.) If he does not throw his weight toward the new canal, she will show the letter to the press and his career will be in ruins. When he agrees, his righteous and high-minded wife finds out and demands that he write to Mrs. Cheveley stating that he has reneged on his agreement – though Lady Chiltern does not know the risk of ruin that her husband runs.

As it happens Sir Robert’s best friend is the urbane Lord Goring, known as the idlest man in London, who has previously been involved with Mrs. Cheveley before she was married and knows a good deal about her. When she comes to visit him unexpectedly to make a deal, it gives him his opportunity to get around her deceit. Unfortunately, she comes across an incriminating letter lying on his desk sent to him by Lady Chiltern which gives her another hold on the Chiltern family. As part of the comedy, Lord Goring’s father The Earl of Caversham wants him to get married as at 34 he is old enough to be starting a family and taking his place in the world. As it happens, Lord Goring has been conducting a torrid flirtation with Mabel, Sir Robert’s younger sister, but would Sir Robert approve of someone like him marrying into his family?

The Storm Theatre production is elegant and polished though at the early performance under review, it seemed to be lacking in tension towards building to a climax. (The cast list has been streamlined with unneeded party guests excised from the opening scene but sometimes referred to.) While all of Wilde’s witticisms land, Lord Goring’s famous remarks seem to be spoken with quotation marks around them rather than as normal speech.

Nevertheless, the production is entertaining and compelling as the plot builds up and things become more complicated for the leading characters. Daniel Prosky’s setting for the two London town houses is period perfect though using the identical furniture arrangement for Sir Robert’s drawing room as well as Lord Goring’s establishment in Act III is a trifle disconcerting when moving things around would have solved that problem. Similarly, while the older women’s gowns from costume designer Sandrina Sparagna are quite an eyeful, Mabel’s dresses look dowdy by comparison which is unlikely for a debutante while she is trying to catch a husband.

The acting is similarly polished but some of the actors are more comfortable with English drawing room comedy style than others. Both Jed Peterson as Sir Robert and Madelyn Monaghan as Lady Gertrude Chiltern have taken their upright moral nature a little too literally and are a bit stiff. On the other hand, Chase Bishop who seems too young for the sophisticated and jaded Lord Goring gets the style right as does Carl Pasbjerg as his father, Lord Caversham. Much of the fun inherent in the play are the antagonistic scenes that the two have together. As the villain of the piece, Connie Castanzo’s Mrs. Cheveley is just right as an immoral woman making her way through high society, though she might have a bit more acid in her delivery.

Heather Olsen is quite charming as the young Mabel Chiltern quite able to take care of herself in the dueling repartee with her elders, while Evangelia Kingsley’s Lady Markby cleverly suggests a society lady past her prime. As the Chiltern’s butler, David Bodenschatz is as stiff as they are, while Edward Prostak’s Phipps, Lord Goring’s manservant, is quite witty though that is partially due to the decidedly impudent lines Wilde has given him. Sound designer Andy Evan Cohen begins each scene with lovely piano and violin music which sets the aristocratic tone.

One of the few New York theater companies still offering classic plays of the near past on a regular basis, The Storm Theatre does a service to New York reviving masterpieces rarely staged. This elegant production of Oscar Wilde’s best comedy-drama An Ideal Husband gives theatergoers a chance to see an Edwardian masterpiece that has much to say to our era. The problems seen at the second performance should take care of themselves with more time before live audiences.

An Ideal Husband (through February 21, 2026)

The Storm Theatre

Jeffrey and Paula Gural Theater at A.R.T./New York Theatres, 502 W. 53rd Street, in Manhattan

For tickets, visit http://www.stormtheatre.com

Running time: two hours and 25 minutes including one intermission