The Importance of Being Earnest

Nathan Winkelstein Director	Germán Cárdenas Alaminos Set Designer	Madelaine Foster Props Supervisor	Scott O’Brien Sound Designer
Elizabeth Rocha Costume Designer	Cameron Sarchi Asst. Stage Manager	Mandy Spartz Stage Manager	Danie Taylor Lighting Designer

Cast

A.J. Baldwin Gwendolen	Christopher Blonski Reverend Chasuble	Robbie Harrison Merriman
Rebecca Ho Cecily	Tracie Lane Lady Bracknell	Zack Lopez Roa Algernon

Christopher Joel Onken Jack

Michael Wood Lane

Jaine Ye Ms. Prism

From the Director

“What can a poor critic do with a play which raises no principle, whether of art or morals, creates its own canons and conventions, and is nothing but an absolutely willful expression of an irrepressibly witty personality”

These words were written by critic William Archer of The World after the premier of The Importance of Being Earnest, a trivial comedy for serious people, on Valentine’s Day in 1895. Similar sentiments were shared by other critics, including the brilliant playwright George Bernard Shaw who said the play, though “extremely funny,” was Wilde’s “first really heartless [one].” They aren’t wrong. Anyone who searches for hidden depths or truths in this play is bound to either come up empty or become a victim of their own confirmation bias as they stalk the wild goose with the red herring in its beak.

Importance is Funny. The play makes you laugh, it makes you smile and have a good time, and perhaps I differ from these critics, and many modern practitioners because – I think that is OK. Not merely OK, but laudable. No, not every meal can be the delicious dessert of Importance – we need the meat and potatoes of Fences, the gumbo that is Waiting for Godot, the subtle steak of Hamlet. But no culinary experience is truly complete without the sweet digestif that leaves our taste buds coated and our bellies warm.

To say Importance is merely funny misses the point. Unlike so many other plays, Oscar Wilde doesn’t try to make this play anything but funny. This is an artist – one whose life is about to be ruined because he dared to be born homosexual in an era of utter intolerance – screaming to the skies that laughter is an essential ingredient to a life well lived, and that bringing joy to one’s fellow man is worthy.

The world is bonkers right now. Democracy is under attack, our planet is overheating, hate and intolerance invades every school and mall. There is a land war in Ukraine and starvation, displacement and violence everywhere. For this one performance though? Let’s let it go. Let’s accept the beautiful gift Oscar Wilde gave us. Take a deep breath, smile and ‘merely’ enjoy.