SBCC Theatre Arts Department Presents Oscar Wilde's THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST Next Month

SBCC Theatre Arts Department will present a student showcase production of THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST by Oscar Wilde, Directed by Katie Laris, November 9-19, 2022 in the Jurkowitz Theatre.

Though written in 1895, Oscar Wilde's The Importance of Being Earnest remains one of funniest and most engaging comedies ever written. The play tells the story of three couples all trying to unlock the secret to their beloved's heart even if that may involve a little deception, quite a bit of flattery and a ton of the wittiest dialogue ever written. The play is filled with unforgettable characters, delightfully twisted plots and exceptional wit-all of which have made this play a perennial hit on stages worldwide; it remains as relevant and fun today as when it was first performed.

Oscar Wilde, (born Oct. 16, 1854, Dublin, Ire.-died Nov. 30, 1900, Paris, France), Irish poet and dramatist. Son of an eminent surgeon, Wilde attended Trinity College, Dublin, and later Oxford University, becoming widely known for his wit while still an undergraduate. A spokesman for Aestheticism, in the early 1880s he gave a lecture tour in the U.S. and established himself in London circles by his wit and flamboyance. His only novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray (1891), combines gothic elements with mockery of bourgeois morality. His macabre play Salomé (1893) was later adapted as the libretto of Richard Strauss's opera; his other plays, all successes, include Lady Windermere's Fan (1893), A Woman of No Importance (1893), and An Ideal Husband (1895). His greatest work was the comedy The Importance of Being Earnest (1899), a satire of Victorian social hypocrisy. Two critical dialogues, "The Decay of Lying" and "The Critic as Artist," are admired as equally brilliant. Though happily married, in 1891 he began an intimate relationship with the young Lord Alfred Douglas, son of the marquess of Queensberry. Accused by Queensberry of being a sodomite, Wilde sued for libel and lost, then was arrested for sodomy and convicted in a trial that became internationally notorious. Imprisoned at Reading Gaol (1895-97), he wrote a recriminatory letter to his lover that was edited and published as De Profundis (1905). After his release, he moved to Paris; his only later work was The Ballad of Reading Gaol (1898), on inhumane prison conditions. He died suddenly of acute meningitis

The Importance of Being Earnest will feature our talented students: Matt Addeman, Lexie Brent, Sydney Davidson, Luke Hamilton, Augustus Woolf Muller, Alfred Smith, Ben Watkins, Mary Wessely, and Grace Wilson.

KATIE LARIS (Director) is Co-Chair, stage director and an associate professor of acting for The Theatre Arts Department at SBCC. Recent productions include Something Rotten!, Murder on the Orient Express, Ripcord, Here We Go Again, The Thin Man, Looking Back, Looking Forward, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime, Sense and Sensibility, Significant Other, The Game's Afoot, Grease, Communicating Doors, It's a Wonderful Life, Rabbit Hole, Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike, and Dead Man's Cell Phone. Katie received her B.A. in Theatre/Literature from Reed College and her M.F.A. in Theatre Directing from Columbia University.

PATRICIA L. FRANK (Scenic & Lighting Designer) is the Co-Chair and Director of Design and Technology for the Theatre Arts Department, also serving as the resident scenic and lighting designer for The Theatre Group at SBCC. She continues her 37th year at SBCC as the Scenic/Lighting Designer for Something Rotten. Pat has designed countless shows at SBCC and is very happy to return to design this production since it is one of her favorites. Pat earned an MFA in Visual Arts from UND and an MA in Dramatic Arts from UCSB.

Pamela Shaw (Costume Designer) is resident costume designer for The Theatre Group at SBCC, recently designing Something Rotten!, Murder on the Orient Express, Ripcord, The Thin Man, Looking Back, Looking Forward, Sense & Sensibility, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, The Game's Afoot, Grease, One Man, Two Guvnors and Significant Other among many other productions. Ms. Shaw was Costume Designer for The Forbidden Planet, Fuddy Meers and South Pacific at The Rubicon Theater, The Curious Case of the Watson Intelligence and the premiere of San Patricios at PCPA, the off-Broadway show Lonesome Traveler, Assistant Costume Designer for TV sensation Vampire Diaries. She is the 2017-2023 Chair for the Western Region Board of United Scenic Artists, Local 829.

BARBARA HIRSCH (Sound Designer) owns Opus 1 mobile recording, and is grateful for Santa Barbara's rich music and theater scene. Over the decades she has composed for theater, played in the pit, ran sound. It was satisfying to win a Dramalogue Sound Design award for SBCLO's Singin' in the Rain, a show whose rain on stage helped end a years' long drought. More recently Ensemble Theater Company's productions of Amadeus and Christmas at Pemberly - parts I and II featured her sound design. For years, she has happily worked with Katie Laris on many of the college's Wonderful Productions, including Murder on the Orient Express, Ripcord, Curious Incident, Significant Other and It's a Wonderful Life. In another realm she owns the wonderful Santa Barbara Yoga Center.

Performances are November 9-19, 2022 in the intimate Jurkowitz Theatre. Wednesday through Saturday @ 7:30pm, Sunday November 13 and Saturday November 19 @ 2pm. The Sunday, November 13, 2pm performance will be live-captioned for the hearing-impaired. Tickets can be purchased online at www.theatregroupsbcc.com or by phone 805-965-5935. The Jurkowitz Theatre is located on the West Campus of Santa Barbara City College in the 900 block of Cliff Dr. Parking is free and near the theatre. Due to the intimate nature of the Jurkowitz Theatre, NO LATE SEATING is permitted. www.theatregroupsbcc.com.

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