|
PCPA presents |
|
Both Jack Worthing and Algernon Moncrieff must assume the name “Earnest” in order to win their loves’ hearts. For the ladies are certain they could never be happy married to a man who was named something other than Earnest. The Importance of Being Earnest plays August 15 – 24 in Santa Maria’s Marian Theatre and August 29 – September 8 in the Solvang Festival Theater. The Importance of Being Earnest is a frothy comedy of manners and guarantees to be a delightful evening in the theatre. “Wilde writes really terrific characters. Each one is vivid in their point of view and the way they use language. For a class of people who don’t have many worries, they get to play – and they play with language. It’s the idea of language as a playground,” Director Roger DeLaurier explained. The characters have their foibles and they’re certainly self-interested, but they have a wonderful life-force. At its heart, Wilde is making fun of the society of which he was a part. He ridicules the hypocrisy of the class system and of the upper-middle classes, their ideas on morality, marriage, and gender relationships. The Importance of Earnest’s creative team includes Director Roger DeLaurier, Scenic Designer Jason Bolen, Costume Designer Sara Curran Ice, Lighting Designer Jennifer ‘Z’ Zornow, Sound Designer Elisabeth Weidner, Voice and Dialect Coach Andrew Philpot, and Production Stage Manager Christine Collins*. The cast features Michael Brusasco* as John Worthing, Yusef Seevers and Algernon Moncrieff, Erik Stein* as Rev. Canon Chasuble, Peter S. Hadres* as Lane/Merriman, Kitty Balay* as Lady Bracknell, Emily Trask* as Gwendolen Fairfax, Katie Fuchs-Wackowski as Cecily Cardew and Polly Firestone Walker as Miss Prism. First produced in 1895 this play moves away from previous Wilde structures of melodrama and plays more with satire and farce. Earnest continues to be Wilde’s most popular work and is continually revived. A revival by the Roundabout Theatre Company on Broadway garnered three Tony Award nominations in 2011. Numerous Films and TV movies have been released since 1946. The 2002 film featured Colin Firth, Reese Witherspoon, and Judi Dench and retained some of the original script that had been cut from the first stage production. Several other adaptations include musicals, radio productions, and an opera. |
|
|
