Photo Flash:THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST At The Guthrie
The Importance of Being Earnest is the story of Jack Worthing (Nick Mennell) and Algernon Moncrieff (John Skelley), young carefree dandies who have each created an imaginary character so that they may visit their loves and win their hearts. Abandoned in London's Victoria Station as an infant and now living in a country manor, Jack has fallen in love with Algernon's cousin Gwendolen (Heidi Armbruster), daughter of the formidable Lady Bracknell (Linda Thorson). In order to escape to the city to meet with her, Jack invents a fictitious dissolute brother, Ernest, and claims he has to look after him in town. Similarly, Algernon escapes to the country thanks to a fictitious invalid friend on the brink of dying, whose needs call him away from London. When Algernon (masquerading as Jack's brother Ernest) meets and falls in love with Jack's ward Cecily Cardew (Erin Krakow) on a visit to the country, the stage is set for clever manipulations, mild treacheries and hilarious confusion. Not least of the complications is Lady Bracknell's demand to know more about Jack's parentage, a task proved difficult by his foundling origin.
For their part, Cecily and Gwendolen are both illogically in love with Ernest, whom neither has ever met (because he doesn't really exist), only further propelling the young men's deception into comical twists of delicious wit, hidden identities and silly attempts to keep up appearances which aren't always as they seem. Directed by Joe Dowling -- whose last staging of Earnest on the Guthrie thrust in 1998 was hailed as "an entertaining romp," -- the production will also feature longtime Guthrie actors Richard S. Iglewski (Rev. Canon Frederick Chasuble), Suzanne Warmanen (Miss Laetitia Prism) and Kris L. Nelson (Lane / Merriman).OPENING NIGHT:Thursday, September 17 at 7:30 p.m.
CLOSING:
Sunday, November 8 at 7 p.m.
TICKETS:
Single tickets priced $24 - $60
Guthrie Box Office: 612.377.2224
Greater Minnesota: TOLL FREE 877.44.STAGE
Box Office hours: 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. (performance days) and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. (non-performance days)
Tickets may be purchased online at www.guthrietheater.org.
Photo Credit: Michal Daniel
Heidi Armbruster and Nick Mennell
Heidi Armbruster and Nick Mennell
John Skelley and Erin Krakow
John Skelley and Erin Krakow
Erin Krakow and Heidi Armbruster
Erin Krakow and Heidi Armbruste
John Skelley and Nick Mennell
Erin Krakow and Linda Thorson
Richard S. Iglewski and Suzanne Warmanen
More Hot Stories For You

February 1, 2023
Duluth Playhouse presents A Doll's House, Part 2, the thoroughly modern, 90-minute 'sequel' to Henrik Ibsen's 1879 classic. Kendra Carlson directs this stand-alone continuation (no need to know the original) opening at Zeitgeist Teatro Zuccone February 23.

January 31, 2023
Ballet Co.Laboratory's new ballet, The Wild Rumpus, explores the journey to understand the various bubbling emotions inside us all. This age-old quest has been the subject of countless books, but iconic children's book author Maurice Sendak may have found the best answer – imagination.

January 27, 2023
Children’s Theatre Company (CTC) has announced the cast and creative team for Jacqueline Woodson’s Locomotion, adapted from Ms. Woodson’s own book. The production will be directed by Talvin Wilks. See photos from the production.

January 27, 2023
Hennepin Theatre Trust has announced two new members to its board of directors. Gerardo Casahonda, senior director of indirect tax at Thomson Reuters and Trisha Duncan, director of Minnesota community relations for Xcel Energy start their tenure on the board Thursday, Jan. 26. Andrea Mokros, current vice chair of the Trust's board of directors, has been elected to follow Travis Barkve as chair of the board and officially begins her term as chair today.

January 20, 2023
A drama of great tenderness, charm, and beauty, The Glass Menagerie is an icon of the American theater. With poetic realism this momentous memory play gets a fresh take in the hands of director Anika Thompson.