Oct. 12, 2006

MC Theatre learns 'The Importance of Being Earnest'
By JASON E. WEBER
weberj@marietta.edu

“My wallpaper and I are fighting a duel to the death.” Oscar Wilde said on his deathbed. “One or other of us has got to go.” Regarding marriage he remarked, “A man can be happy with any woman as long as he does not love her.” On music Wilde commented, “Music makes one feel so romantic - at least it always gets on one's nerves - which is the same thing nowadays.” Oscar Wilde is known for his clever quotations. Many people have enjoyed making classroom posters out of them or pasting them into their away messages on AOL Instant Messenger. However, these places do not beat the place Wilde intended: the stage. This weekend The Theatre at Marietta College will present its production of the most famous Wilde play, “The Importance of Being Earnest.”

“The Importance of Being Earnest” is a play about society, misconceptions, and general foolhardiness. It is “a trivial comedy for serious people” and a funny one at that. The play is the story of Algernon Moncrieff and his good friend Jack “Earnest” Worthing and how a few fibs, a couple of marriage proposals, and a trip to the countryside can cause everything to become quite crazy.

The show is a mastery of wordplay that shows that Wilde's abilities are par none.

The Marietta production will feature senior Nicholas Gehlfuss and sophomore Kellen Boyle as Algernon and Jack respectively. Playing opposite them are freshman Rebecca McCullough as Cecily Cardew and senior Elizabeth Allard as Gwendolen Fairfax. Rounding out the rest of the dynamic ensemble are freshman Stephanie Tett as Gwendolen's mother, Lady Bracknell, freshman Jessica Jackson as Cecily's honorable governess, Miss Prism, senior Jason E. Weber as Reverend Doctor Chausable, and freshman Andrew Wind, who will be playing both Algernon's butler, Lane and Jack's butler, Merriman.

To make the event even more exciting the production marks the return of Jeff Cordell as a director on the Marietta College stage. An alumnus of MC, Cordell has returned to campus now as a theatre faculty member and has brought his graduate school education and professional theatre experience back to Marietta. Alumni may remember his last production at Marietta, Tennessee Williams' “Cat On A Hot Tin Roof” which was ran as part of the 1999-2000 season. He will be directing Williams' again this spring as MC Theatre will stage “Garden District” as the last mainstage play of the season.

Oscar Wilde's “The Importance of Being Earnest” opens in the Friedrich Theatre this Friday night at 8:00 p.m. and has performances on Saturday at 2:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m., Sunday at 8:00 p.m., and October 19th through 21st at 8:00 p.m. Tickets are $8.00 for adults, $7.00 for seniors, $6.00 for children and non-MC students, and free to all Marietta College Students and Employees. For more information or to reserve tickets please call the box office at (740) 376-4678.