Exposed ‘indecency’ sends Wilde to trial

By Amanda Thorogood

“Controversial,” “disturbing,” “classic” and “meaningful” are just some of the words cast members Kevin Feehery and Faye Rex have used to describe the Fine Arts Department’s latest theatrical production, Gross Indecency: The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde.

Taken from the transcripts of three court trials, Gross Indecency recaptures 19th century playwright Oscar Wilde, played by senior David Yashin, and his social and moral decline after being accused of homosexuality.

“We don’t realize that in the 19th century, Oscar Wilde was hailed as a god but due to his unlawful acts he was exiled from society,” said Feehery, a junior who has been cast as the Marquess of Queensberry, the father of one of Wilde’s lovers. “[Wilde] was a homosexual which was equivalent, if not worse, to committing murder in 19th-century England.”

The production begins shortly after the father of Wilde’s current lover accuses him of posing as a homosexual. The first court hearing is adapted from the case in which Wilde sues the man for libel. The two court cases that follow find Wilde himself on trial after it is said that he had partaken in one of England’s “grossest of indecencies.”

“Wilde was a man of great wealth and intelligence, but after the trials he had become penniless and mentally and physically abused,” said Feehery. “This is a play where the villain wins, depending on how you view it.”

“He was so unfairly mistreated and we can all wonder if there would have been any more classic stories if he hadn’t been so abused,” added Rex, a sophomore who serves as one of the play’s four narrators.

Feehery and Rex, who have both been in numerous other Rider productions, found themselves taking on new challenges along with 19 other cast members, as they prepared for Gross Indecency’s opening night, which is tonight at 8 p.m. in the Yvonne Theater.

For Feehery, knowing that the play was based on actual events changed his perception not only of his character but of the production on a larger scale.
“It was tough getting into someone’s mind whose thoughts were completely different from my own,” Feehery said. “When I am doing the role I can’t help but to think that these words were really said, verbatim, by someone who really felt such strong feelings.”

Gross Indecency director Miriam Mills describes the play as “smart, moving, worthwhile and important.” The show is “vital for a university” because of its ability to integrate mature themes and grab the audience’s full attention, she said.
“The ideas matter, and the issue of artist responsibility is valuable to think about and discuss,” said Mills. “I hope the audience will leave the theater thinking about what our actions cause and what art should be.”

Rehearsals for the production started shortly after Thanksgiving. The cast began with full script readings around a table and progressed into the actual blocking, or placing of the actors on stage. The cast also worked heavily with dialect coach Diane Crane from Westminster, England to perfect the British dialect of the era. During the final weeks, props, costumes and lighting were added to the stage, and the entire cast began running the play in its entirety.

“It’s coming together very well now that everyone has gotten used to the accents, learned their lines and can focus on actually acting,” said Rex.

“They have been amazing in their creativity, intelligence and sensitivity toward this subject,” said Mills, referring to the cast members. “Their willingness to explore this with as much abandon as they have has been both amazing and humbling.”

Gross Indecency: The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde opens tonight at 8 p.m. The show will run in the Yvonne Theater on Friday, Feb. 23 and Saturday, Feb. 17 and 24. All shows begin at 8 p.m. Tickets to the performance cost $10 for adults and $5 for students and can be purchased in the lobby of the theater.