THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST To Take The Stage At The Contemporary Theater Company

Mistaken identities, secret double lives, and a suitor named Earnest (or is he?) take over the stage this August as The Contemporary Theater Company (CTC) is set to present Oscar Wilde's comedy The Importance of Being Earnest.

Performances run Fridays and Saturdays at 7 pm from August 7 through September 12, with an additional Sunday matinee on September 6 at 2 pm. There are no performances August 28 - 30, as the CTC heads outdoors for the Ocean State Renaissance Faire. Previews take place August 7 and 8 and are offered Pay What You Can at the door, while seats are available, with opening weekend following on August 14 and 15.

First performed in 1895, "The Importance of Being Earnest" follows Jack Worthing and Algernon Moncrieff, two carefree young gentlemen of Society who each maintain secret identities under the name "Earnest." Their romantic entanglements with Gwendolyn Fairfax and Cecily Cardew — both of whom insist they could only love a man named Earnest — spiral into a farce of mistaken identities, disapproving elders, and the absurdities of Victorian social convention.

"I have a great love of classic styles theater, and Earnest is at the top of the list," said Paula Glen, CTC's Artistic Director, who also takes on the role of the formidable Lady Bracknell in this production. "It's a piece that stands the test of time, and I think our audiences will really enjoy it."

For this staging, director Aaron Blanck - who helmed last season's Peter and the Starcatcher - has set the play's period in 1995, the year of the show's 100th anniversary, giving the production's set and costumes a playful, modern edge while preserving Wilde's original text. "It's still the same great play," Glen said, "just with playful, modern visual elements."

Asked what resonates most about the play more than 125 years after its premiere, Glen pointed to its evergreen themes: love, societal expectations, the need for escapism, and the enduring ridiculousness of social constructs. "This is widely considered one of the best comedies of Western Theater ever written," she said, "and for good reason."

Glen also noted that CTC's intimate black box theater offers audiences a distinctive way to experience the story, even those who know it from film adaptations, by keeping the focus on storytelling and connection with the audience.

The cast features Kerstyn Leigh as Jack, Frankie Davison as Algernon, Kelsi Canada as Gwendolyn, Christina Smith as Cecily, Kelsey Perkins as Rev. Chasuble, Ken Ko as Miss Prism, Olivia Humulock as Merriman/Lane, and Paula Glen as Lady Bracknell.

Reflecting on the production, Glen said that despite the show's farcical nature and its "silliness galore," at its heart The Importance of Being Earnest remains a wonderful story about the delightful foibles of humanity.