Gettysburg College's Department of Theatre Arts and the Owl & Nightingale Players student group will present Oscar Wilde's most well-known and beloved comedy, “The Importance of Being Earnest” Feb. 14-17.

Performances in the Majestic Theater, 25 Carlisle St., will take place at 7:30 p.m. except for Sunday, Feb. 17's matinee at 2 p.m. Admission is $5, free with a student ID (or for children under 18) and can be picked up at the Majestic box office, ordered by calling 717-337-8200, or ordered online at http://www.gettysburgmajestic.org/live_performances/.

“Wilde's farcical masterpiece lovingly satirizes the hypocrisies of Victorian society and seems as fresh and relevant today as it did at its premiere in 1895,” director and theatre arts department chair Chris Kauffman said. “The play is definitely a comedy through and through. It uses the triviality of the aristocracy's seriousness as a fodder for comedy and a reminder for what is really important in life.”

The cast includes Alex Clint '13 as Lady Bracknell; Riley Park '13 as Jack Worthing; Sara Vanasse '13 as Gwendolyn Fairfax; David Wemer '14 as Algernon Moncrieff; Taylor Andrews '15 as Cecily Cardew; Kate Forton '14 as Miss Prism; and MJ Roche '13 as Reverend Chasuble.

Scenic design is by assistant professor Eric Berninghausen and costumes are by adjunct assistant professor Kathryn Kawecki.

“We expect the audience to feel happier and smarter for having seen this production. We are confident that Wilde's genius, combined with the generosity of the talented cast, will make for a delightful evening,” Kauffman said. “The department is presenting this play in honor of a recently deceased colleague, Jerry Hanson, who called this one of his favorite plays. This is for him.”

Founded in 1832, Gettysburg College is a highly selective four-year residential college of liberal arts and sciences with a strong academic tradition. Alumni include Rhodes Scholars, a Nobel laureate, and other distinguished scholars. The college enrolls 2,600 undergraduate students and is located on a 200-acre campus adjacent to the Gettysburg National Military Park in Pennsylvania.

Article by: Emily Kleinburd '13, communications and marketing intern
Contact: Nikki Rhoads, senior assistant director of communications, 717.337.6803