Photos: THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST Preps For Baltimore Center Stage Premiere

Baltimore Center Stage is preparing for the regional premiere of a new adaptation of Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest by Jenny Koons. See photos of the cast in action. 

This reimagined version of the classic tells the witty and humorous story of Jack Worthing and Algernon Moncrief, who both create alter egos that supply an escape from the monotony of their lives. This co-production with Pittsburgh Public Theater runs for a strictly limited engagement, May 9-26, 2024.

“It feels amazing to come back to a comedy, especially at a time when there are so many serious issues that we are all grappling with,” stated Koons, who also directs the production. “Despite how our senses of humor have changed culturally, this humor from the 1800s is still so funny, even now. When I saw it for the first time in high school in Minneapolis, I remember thinking that it was so wild that a play from 100 years ago could get teenagers laughing so many years later.”

The seven-member cast in Koons’ new adaptation of Oscar Wilde’s classic comedy includes Veronica del Cerro as Gwendolyn; Paul Deo Jr. as Jack Worthing; Susan M. Lynskey as Miss Prism; Alex Manalo as Cecily Cardew; Joseph McGranaghan as Lane and Merriman; Dylan Marquis Meyers as Algernon; and David Ryan Smith as Lady Bracknell. 

The production’s dynamic creative team includes Set Designer Jason Ardizzone-West, Lighting Designer Annmarie Duggan, Costume Designer Hugh Hanson, Sound Designer and Composer UptownWorks: Daniela Hart, Bailey Trierweiler, & Noel Nichols, Associate Director B Klemeyer, Stage Manager Natalie Hratko, and Assistant Stage Manager Kelly Haywood.

Koons, a theater industry veteran, is known for her work at theaters across the country driving innovative adaptations of classics, like her 2022 adaptation of Oedipus at Deaf West Theatre, which featured Protactile ASL, a newer touch-centric language, and the theater company’s first DeafBlind cast member. She directed an immersive “dance party” musical Head Over Heels at Pasadena Playhouse in 2022, and returns to BCS after directing Men in Boats  in 2019.

Single tickets are currently on sale by visiting centerstage.org or calling 410.332.0033. Patrons can also visit the box office, located at 700 North Calvert Street.

Photo Credit: Michael Henninger

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