Playhouse Merced to Present THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST

The Importance of Being Earnest is the second show of Playhouse Merced's 22nd season. Join us for Oscar Wilde's comic masterpiece, often called "the funniest play in the English language."

Long-time technical director Chris Battisti, directs newlyweds and local theater veterans Colton Dennis and Katie Brokaw as John Worthing and Gwendolyn Fairfax.

John Worthing (Dennis), a carefree young gentleman, is the inventor of a fictitious brother, "Ernest," whose wicked ways afford John an excuse to leave his country home from time to time and journey to London, where he stays with his close friend and confidant, Algernon Moncrieff (Stephen Mouillesseaux, who played Shrek in Shrek the Musical). Algernon has a cousin, Gwendolen Fairfax (Brokaw), with whom John is deeply in love. During his London sojourns, John, under the name Ernest, has won Gwendolen's love, for she strongly desires to marry someone with the confidence-inspiring name of Ernest. But when he asks for Gwendolen's hand from the formidable Lady Bracknell (Connie Stetson, who stole the show as the forgetful American actress/cockney house-keeper in Noises Off), John finds he must reveal he is a foundling who was left in a handbag at Victoria Station. This is very disturbing to Lady Bracknell, who insists that he produce at least one parent before she consents to the marriage.

Returning to the country home where he lives with his ward Cecily Cardew (Meganne Kocher) and her governess Miss Prism (Karen Damme), John finds that Algernon has also arrived under the identity of the nonexistent brother Ernest. Algernon falls madly in love with the beautiful Cecily, who has long been enamored of John's fascinating, if fictitious, brother Ernest. With the arrival of Lady Bracknell and Gwendolen, chaos erupts. What happens when they all end up in the country together and their deceptions are discovered?

Rounding out the cast are Bryan Hurd as the repressed parson Dr. Chasuble, and Chelsea King as Lane and Chris Ingle as Merriman.

The Importance of Being Earnest opens Friday, October 2 and plays for two weekends only through Sunday, October 11.

Show times are Friday and Saturday evenings at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday matinees at 2 p.m.

Tickets are on sale now.

You may purchase tickets by going online to www.playhousemerced.com, by calling (209) 725-8587, or visiting the box office at 452 West Main Street in downtown Merced, Tuesday through Saturday from 1-5 p.m.

The show is rated "A" for All Ages.

The Importance of Being Earnest celebrates Playhouse Merced's 22nd season in its downtown theater location. Playhouse Merced is a community-based, non-profit, 501(c) 3 organization seeking to entertain, educate and enlighten audiences. For more information, please visit www.playhousemerced.com.