Upcoming Production

The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde
July 11-16, 2017
Tickets on sale June 12. Contact Rob Lyon at 536-1904

The Importance of Being Earnest – A Trivial Comedy for Serious People! First performed on 14 February 1895 at the St James’s Theatre, London, the play is a farcical comedy in which the protagonists maintain fictitious personæ to escape burdensome social obligations. Where the plot line follows the ups and downs of love, and the unusual importance placed on the name Earnest! Working within the social conventions of late Victorian London, the play’s major themes are the trivial way in which institutions, as serious as marriage, are treated; and the resulting satire of Victorian morality and Victorian ways. Contemporary reviews of the day all praised the play’s humour, though some were cautious about its explicit “lack” of social messages! Others foresaw the modern consensus that it was the culmination of Wilde’s artistic career so far. It’s high farce and witty dialogue at their best, thus making The Importance of Being Earnest  Wilde’s most popular and enduring play.