Theatre Calgary To Present THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST Beginning This Month

Theatre Calgary is bringing laughs, a cast of Calgary actors, big sets, and periods costumes to our stage in one of the wittiest comedies ever written, The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde.

Wealthy gentlemen Jack and Algernon have chosen to lead double lives to evade the tedium of polite society. However, when they attempt to win the love of two women who declare they will only love a man called Ernest - chaos begins. The Importance of Being Earnest is a tale of mistaken identities, rapid-fire wit, and cucumber sandwiches. There may not be a funnier, more socially insightful play chock-full of eccentric characters than this masterpiece by Wilde.

Written in 1895, The Importance of Being Earnest features an all-Calgary cast made up of Christopher Duthie (Algernon Moncrieff), Duval Lang (Merriman), Valerie Planche (Lady Bracknell), Kevin Rothery (Rev. Canon Chasuble), David Sklar (Lane), and Shari Wattling (Miss Prism). The cast of Earnest also features three graduates of our Shakespeare by the Bow program who are making their Theatre Calgary debut. We are proud to welcome Michael Rolfe (John Worthing JP), Kathleen Faith Ballangan (Cecily Cardew), and Emily Howard (Hon. Gwendolen Fairfax) to our stage to work alongside this experienced cast and creative team.

Directing The Importance of Being Earnest is Bronwyn Steinberg, who is making her Theatre Calgary debut. Ms. Steinberg is currently the artistic director of Calgary's Lunchbox Theatre. A long-time favourite play of hers, she finds that Oscar Wilde's words are still incredibly relevant. "Despite the fact that his satire targets the upper classes of Victorian England, the jokes still ring true. It's just as delightful now (if not more so) to laugh out loud at the pure absurdity of these characters' artifice and superficiality," explains Steinberg. "As I was diving back into the world of this play, I kept thinking of shows like Bridgerton-set long ago and far away but written with the sensibilities of here and now."

The creative team for The Importance of Being Earnest includes Anton de Groot (Set Design), Ralamy Kneeshaw (Costume Design), Beth Kates (Lighting & Projection Design), Alixandra Cowman (Sound Design & Composition), Jane MacFarlane (Voice & Dialect Coach), Laurel Oneil (Stage Manager), Claire Bolton (Assistant Stage Manager), and Naomi Esau (Apprentice Stage Manager). Our TC Mentors program features Assistant Director Andrés Moreno and Assistant Lighting & Projection Designer Brendan Briceland.

The Importance of Being Earnest runs October 25 - November 19 in the Max Bell Theatre at Arts Commons. Performances begin at 7:30pm (Tues-Thurs, Sun), 8:00pm (Fri-Sat), and 2:00pm (Sat-Sun matinees). Tickets start as low as $40, and can be purchased at theatrecalgary.com. The official opening night is Friday, October 28.

Theatre Calgary continues to offer some special ticket deals, including daily $25 rush tickets, $40 tickets to those under 40 to all performances throughout the run, and 10% off tickets for first responders. More information on these offers can be found at theatrecalgary.com.

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