(From left) Kate Abbruzzese appears as The Hon. Gwendolen Fairfax, Matt Schwader as John Worthing, Helen Carey as Lady Bracknell, Christian Conn as Algernon Moncrieff, and Helen Cespedes as Cecily Cardew in The Importance of Being Earnest, by Oscar Wilde. Photo: Jim Cox
SAN DIEGO–The Old Globe’s 2017-2018 season continues with the announcement of the complete cast and creative team of a top-notch revival of Oscar Wilde’s endlessly entertaining comedy The Importance of Being Earnest.
Maria Aitken will direct the Globe’s handsome production of this timeless world classic—an unmissable opportunity to see what the London Telegraph calls “the most perfect comedy in the English language.” The Importance of Being Earnest will run January 27 to March 4 on the Donald and Darlene Shiley Stage in the Old Globe Theatre, part of the Globe’s Conrad Prebys Theatre Center.
Oscar Wilde’s wildly entertaining comedy sparkles with dazzling wordplay and hilariously unlikely situations. This “trivial comedy for serious people” features two carefree bachelors, Jack and Algernon, each with a carefully hidden double life. But when Algernon discovers that Jack has been posing as a man named Ernest to escape to the city, he promptly travels to Jack’s country estate to pose as the fictional figure himself! Silliness ensues with whimsical ingénues, jealous fiancées, indomitable dowagers, and the most famous handbag in theatre history.
The cast features Kate Abbruzzese (Hon. Gwendolen Fairfax), Sam Avishay (Merriman), Helen Carey (Lady Bracknell), Helen Cespedes (Cecily Cardew), Christian Conn (Algernon Moncrieff), Rodney Gardiner (Rev. Canon Chasuble), Daniel Harray (Lane, Moulton), Jane Ridley (Miss Prism), and Matt Schwader (John “Jack” Worthing).
“World-class revivals of the world’s classics have always been an important part of The Old Globe’s work, and this splendid and hilarious production of The Importance of Being Earnest continues this theatre’s legacy of excellence,” said Erna Finci Viterbi Artistic Director Barry Edelstein. “I am thrilled to welcome the great Maria Aitken here for her Globe debut. Along with a distinguished acting career that saw her perform in more than one production of this play, she has forged a directing career notable for its accomplishment in high comedy. There’s no director in whose hands I’d rather see this gloriously witty play, and the actors and designers Maria has gathered promise a beguiling and wild night of Wilde.”
Additional events taking place during the run of The Importance of Being Earnest include:
Vicki and Carl Zeiger Insights Seminar: January 30 at 5:30 p.m. An opportunity to closely connect with productions both onstage and backstage. A panel selected from the artistic company of each show (playwrights, actors, directors, designers, and/or technicians) engage patrons in an informal and illuminating presentation of ideas and insights to enhance the theatre-going experience. Reception at 5 p.m. Free.
Tickets to The Importance of Being Earnest start at $30 and are on sale to the general public. Tickets can be purchased online at www.TheOldGlobe.org, by phone at (619) 23-GLOBE [234-5623], or by visiting the Box Office at 1363 Old Globe Way in Balboa Park. Discounts are available for full-time students, patrons 29 years of age and under, seniors, military members, and groups of 10 or more.
