The Importance of Being Earnest
In a rain-soaked, dirt-caked, low down city in a nondescript time in the 1940's, Jack Worthing's got a sinister secret. He isn't who he says! Under the alias of his wicked brother Ernest, he's fallen in love with Gwendolen Fairfax, heiress to the Bracknell fortune, daughter to the most fatal femme of all, Dame Bracknell, and cousin to Jack's best friend, Algernon Moncrieff. He's gotta do something, and quick, about his double identity. But poor Jack's made one fatal mistake, he left a cigarette case with evidence to suggest the truth of his identity in Algernon's house. All the cards are in ol' Algy's hands, but what's he gonna do with them!
The Cast
Frank Jicha
Jack Worthing
Annika Halonen
Gwendolen Fairfax
Sunshine Godar
Algernon Moncrieff
Emma Kohlenberg
Cecily cardew
Manali Sunkara
LAETITIA PRISM
Daniel Stoltzfus
FREDERICK CHAUSUBLE
Laura MacGregor
MADAM BRACKNELL
Jesse James Hoover
Lane merrimen
Director's Note
Who is Ernest? Why is he lying about who he says he is? And what other secrets are hiding in the world of Oscar Wilde’s infamous play The Importance of Being Earnest?! These questions and more shaped our reimagining of the story through a Film Noir lens- a monochromatic black, white and grey color pallet, pops of red, period-inspired jazz, film noir archetypes, and ensuring no one truly gets a happy ending are all results of studying the Noir genre and exploring how it intermingled with the mysteries in our show.
Director and Development Associate
- Bea Lemaster
I specifically focused on the composition of shots in Noir films to influence my blocking. In certain moments, you see Madame Bracknell looming over Jacks shoulder, Jack and Gwendolen pining for each other from across a room, or Miss Prism and Dr. Chasuble moving arm in arm through the garden. These moments were pulled from inspiring Noir scenes and cliches, helping to create a sense of mood and period, and, when put to music, brought to life the various character archetypes we’ve studied over the last two months.
Thank you to the wonderful cast for their hard work, and we hope you enjoy, walking away truly understanding- The Importance of Being Earnest.
Alternate Posters
This production of The Importance of Being Earnest has 8 alternative posters, featuring all the actors. Scroll through the gallery of alternate posters and find out what secret Jack Worthing is hiding, and whether it was worth it.
Production Photos
