THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST Returns To 3 NYC Parks, May 28-June 30

New York Classical Theatre, New York City's all-free Off-Broadway equity theatre company, will bring back its critically acclaimed production of Oscar Wilde's comic masterpiece, The Importance of Being Earnest: Two Ways for a tour of three New York City parks. The production, which is the centerpiece of NY Classical's 20th Anniversary season, will play in Central Park from May 28-June 16, Brooklyn Bridge Park from June 18-23, and Carl Schurz Park from June 25-30, as the perfect summer entertainment for Pride Month in New York City.

Regarded as one of the great comedies in the English language, Wilde's 1895 classic is a satire of social manners and obligations in Victorian England. In NY Classical's production, the entire cast swaps roles (and genders) at every other performance to explore the power dynamics in the script. The Importance of Being Earnest: Two Ways, directed by Stephen Burdman, will be presented with conventional casting for performances on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, and reversed gender casting for performances on Wednesday, Friday and Sunday.

The cast features Ademide Akintilo (Shakespeare's Globe's A Midsummer Night's Dream) as Algernon/Cecily, Kristen Calgaro (NY Classical's Much Ado About Nothing) as Gwendolen/Jack, Connie Castanzo (NY Classical's Romeo & Juliet) as Cecily/Algernon, Jed Peterson (CHEERS: Live On Stage) as Jack/Gwendolen, Kate Goehring (Angels in America National Tour) as Lady Bracknell/Merriman, John Michalski (Martin Luther on Trial) as Merriman/Lady Bracknell, Tina Stafford (Once National Tour) as Miss Prism/Dr. Chasuble, and Clay Storseth (Moscow) as Dr. Chasuble/Miss Prism.

The production recently completed a critically acclaimed limited engagement at A.R.T./New York Theatres.

All performances start at 7:00 PM. The production will play the following parks and dates:

Central Park
Dates: Tuesday, May 28-Sunday, June 16
Enter the park at West 103rd Street and Central Park West
Via Subway: Take the B/C train to 103rdStreet

Brooklyn Bridge Park
Dates: Tuesday, June 18-Sunday, June 23
Meet at Fulton Ferry Landing on Pier 1.
Via Subway: F to York Street, C to High Street

Carl Schurz Park
Dates: Tuesday, June 25-Sunday, June 30
Enter at East 86th Street & East End Avenue.
Via Subway: Subway: 4/5/6 or Q to East 86th Street

For 20 years, NY Classical has provided free and immersive performances to the public in open, non-traditional spaces in iconic New York City settings, ranging from Governors Island and Brookfield Place, to Brooklyn Bridge Park and Central Park. Since 2000, NY Classical has presented over 42 free productions and more than 700 free performances of classic plays by Shakespeare, Moliere, Shaw, Chekhov, Schiller and Sheridan, for 250,000 people. Attendees at NY Classical's performances range from theatre aficionados, to audiences who have never seen a play before, with nearly 30% of the company's audience living at our below NYC's poverty line. NY Classical's commitment to accessibility has helped to develop new and future audiences for the theatre.

For more information, visit www.nyclassical.org.

Photo Credit: Jody Christopherson

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