The Importance of Being Earnest: January 21–March 29, 2009

The Importance of Being Earnest

By Oscar Wilde

Fanciful Comedy
From one of the great wits of the Victorian age comes one of the funniest plays ever seen on the Village stage! Jack wants to marry Gwendolen, but must prove his worthy parentage to Lady Bracknell. Which will be hard to do, as he was abandoned in a handbag at Victoria station. Gwendolen's cousin Algernon loves Cecily, who happens to be Jack's ward. Cecily and Gwendolen, for their part, are both in love with Ernest...whom they have never met. Because he doesn't exist. A merry melee of misdirection and misunderstandings, Oscar Wilde's masterwork will have you laughing from first word to last.

Download a Production Preview Guide.

Download a PDF of the Importance of Being Earnest edition of Village Voices (1MB)

Oscar Wilde's genius endures on Village Theatre stage –The Herald

Village Theatre's 'Earnest' gives audience time to laugh –The Herald

What's in a name? –The Muktilteo Beacon

Village runs Wilde with 'Earnest' –The Enterprise

Wilde As They Come — Rebel Playwright's Message Still Resonates –Issaquah Reporter

"...light, tightly written, funnier than you can believe, rich with deceptions and coincidences and faintly familiar lines... This production is all of those things. It's weightless. It's mesmerizing entertainment." –The Stranger

Charming staging of "The Importance of Being Earnest" captures the essence of Wilde –Seattle Times

Village Theatre Opens Importance Of Being Earnest For Three-Month Run –Seattle Gay News

'The Importance of Being Earnest' a sumptuous delight –Issaquah Press

'Importance of Being Earnest' delights in slick period panache –Seattle Post-Intelligencer

A moment with ... Brian Yorkey / director –Seattle Post-Intelligencer

ASL Interpreted Performance:
Saturday, February 7, 2009, 2:00 PM at the Francis J. Gaudette Theatre

Post-Show Discussion:
Post-Show Discussion, Issaquah: Tuesday, February 24, 2009 (after the 7:30 PM show)
Post-Show Discussion, Everett: Saturday, March 21, 2009 (after the 2:00 PM show)

Production length: Approximately two hours, with two 10-minute intermission.

Production information: To learn more about the show and its content, download a Production Preview Guide.

Production Team:
Director...................................Brian Yorkey
Scenic Design..........................Bill Forrester
Lighting Design........................Tom Sturge
Costume Design.......................Karen Ledger
Sound Design..........................Gino Scarpino
Dialect Coach...........................Kate Myer Graham
Assistant Lighting Designer.......Robert Aguilar

Cast:
John Worthing..........................Paul Morgan Stetler*
Algernon Moncrieff....................Jason Collins*
Gwendolen Fairfax....................Jennifer Lee Taylor*
Lady Bracknell...........................Laura Kenny*
Cecily Cardew............................Angela DiMarco
Merriman/Lane.........................Clayton Corzatte*
Miss Prism................................Jayne Muirhead*
Rev. Canon Chasuble.................Richard Ziman*

Understudies:
John and Algernon Cover...........Ryan Childers
Miss Prism Cover.......................Susan Corzatte*
Lady Bracknell Cover.................Leslie Law*
Gwendolen and Cecily Cover......Kate Swenson
Chasuble/Lane/Merriman Cover...Gary Taylor*

Stage Management
Stage Manager..........................Tara K. Farrell*
Assistant Stage Manager............Erin B. Zatloka*

*The Actors and Stage Managers are members of Actors' Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States.