Photo Flash: THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST

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).

The Importance of Being Earnest began previews September 12, opened September 17 and continues through November 8 on the Wurtele Thrust Stage. Single tickets are priced from $24 to $60, with a limited number of premium tickets available for opening nights. Tickets are now on sale through the Guthrie Box Office at 612.377.2224, toll-free 877.44.STAGE and online at www.guthrietheater.org.

Photo credit: Michal Daniel

Linda Thorson