April 7, 2011, Greencastle, Ind. — For her birthday, the young, happily married Lady Windermere receives two items: a lovely antique fan and the startling news that her husband may be having an affair with a promiscuous older woman. So begins the premise for Oscar Wilde’s comedy Lady Windermere’s Fan: A Play About a Good Woman, brought to the stage by DePauw Theatre and directed by Susan Anthony.
The fourth and final production of the 2010-11 season, Lady Windermere’s Fan opens Thursday, April 14, at 7:30 p.m. in Moore Theatre of the Judson and Joyce Green Center for the Performing Arts. Performances will continue Friday and Saturday, April 15 and 16, at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday, April 17 at 2:30 p.m. An opening night party will be held immediately after the show Thursday, and a special talkback session will take place following Saturday night’s performance.
Content with married life with her loving husband and
new baby, Lady Windermere is considered a truly “good woman” throughout London. But her perfect lifestyle is threatened when rumors swirl around Lord Windermere and the beautiful, yet unknown Mrs. Erlynne. Gossip suggests the two are involved in a passionate affair; Lady Windermere is crushed by its mere insinuation.
Her jealousy and uncertainties lead Lady Windermere to risk both her happy marriage and her reputation, only to be saved by Mrs. Erlynne herself. Is the hold Mrs. Erlynne has on Lord Windermere of the adulterous kind? And what interest does she have in Lady Windermere?
First produced in 1892, Lady Windermere’s Fan satirizes the morals of Victorian society, particularly the institution of marriage and the pomp and politics of London’s high society. Along with his immensely popular plays The Importance of Being Earnest, A Woman of No Importance, and An Ideal Husband, Lady Windermere’s Fan asks audiences, like the protagonist of the play, to soften their previously harsh judgments for a m
ore nuanced, sympathetic understanding of certain characters.
Director Susan Anthony was originally drawn to Wilde’s comedic flair, as well as his sharp observations of the hypocrisy of his society -- hypocrisy, Anthony says, that is still relevant to contemporary audiences.
“The theme, and, in fact, the subtitle of the play, deals with 'A Good Woman'," says Anthony, associate professor of communication and theatre. “Yet, as the action unfolds, the audience must question what characteristics comprise 'a good woman.' Can a woman who has sinned still be 'good?' By contrast, just because a woman has adhered to conventional morality should she be automatically be deemed ‘good?’”
Anthony gives much credit to an “innovative and fun” cast and crew, including Amy Hayes and Duane Skoog, two professors of theatre who have taken on roles in the production alongside students. A beautiful set and gorgeous period pieces truly lend to the Victorian feel of Wilde’s classic comedy. Anthony adds that a different “celebrity guest” will make an appearance in the ballroom scene.
Tickets for Lady Windermere’s Fan are $3 for students and $6 for adults and are available for purchase at the DePauw 
University Green Center for the Performing Arts Center Box Office. Box Office hours are Monday through Friday 12:30-4:30 and one hour prior to show time. Information and reservations are available by calling (765) 658-4827 or emailing greencenter@depauw.edu.
Also available for purchase are DePauw Theatre patron passes. Purchasers are entitled to five tickets for the price of four. The passes are available at both student and adult price levels. To purchase or obtain additional information, contact the Green Center box office at the contacts listed above.
Additional information on DePauw Theatre can be found here.