James Knight and Matthew Waterson Photo

From: Photo Flash: THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST In Portland

How do you have your cake and eat it too in Victorian England? Well, if you are an attractive man of means like Jack Worthing, its pretty simple: create a double life. Mr. Worthing's double life (he is known as Jack in the country, but 'Ernest' in town) unfolds without a hitch until he decides to come clean and propose to the love of his life, one Gwendolen Fairfax. The snag: while Jack is on his knee, Gwendolen reveals that she could only marry a man named Ernest. What's a rake to do? With dialogue as effervescent as any comedy in the English language, this classic will have you rolling in the aisles.