Regional NewsTony Nominee Michael Cumpsty Will Direct The Importance of Being EarnestCasting has been announced for the Two River Theater production of the Oscar Wilde classic.
By
Andrew Gans
October 20, 2017
Michael Cumpsty
End of the Rainbow Tony nominee Michael Cumpsty will direct Two River Theater's upcoming production of Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest. Performances will begin in Two River’s Rechnitz Theater in Red Bank, New Jersey, November 11. The produciton will continue through December 3.
The cast features Randy Danson as Lady Bracknell, Rosa Gilmore as Gwendolen Fairfax, Mahira Kakkar as Miss Prism, Chris Kipiniak as Rev. Canon Chasuble, Sam Lilja as Algernon Moncrieff, Bob Mackasek as Merriman, Federico Rodriguez as John Worthing, Henry Vick as Lane, and Liesel Allen Yeager as Cecily Cardew.
Societal hypocrisies are put on blast, invented identities create confusion, and plot twists keep the audience on their toes in Wilde’s classic comedy of manners, appearances, lies, and love.
“The Importance of Being Earnest is a deliciously subversive play that brilliantly skewers the pretensions of British Victorian society. Or any ‘society,’ for that matter,” said Artistic Director John Dias in a statement. “The play, which premiered in 1895, is considered Wilde’s theatrical masterpiece; it bursts with fabulous wit and humor. And at its heart there’s a story of romantic yearning for love and connection in a world where what’s true—and earnest—is all but forbidden.”
The creative team includes scenic designer Charlie Corcoran, costume designer Jess Goldstein, lighting designer Yuki Nakase, sound designer Elisheba Ittoop, and wigs designer Leah J. Loukas. Casting is by Heidi Griffiths and Kate Murray, and the stage manager is Rick Steiger.
Tickets are available from TwoRiverTheater.org or by calling (732) 345-1400.
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PHOTO ARCHIVE: Oscar Wilde on the New York Stage
PHOTO ARCHIVE: Oscar Wilde on the New York Stage
Playbill.com takes a look back at a few of Oscar Wilde's works to play the New York stage in recent decades. Roundabout Theatre Company is currently offering The Importance of Being Earnest, the first Broadway revival of his famed comedy in over 30 years.
18 PHOTOS
Patricia Conolly, Elizabeth Wilson, John Glover and James Valentine in the 1977 Broadway revival of The Importance of Being Earnest.
Kathleen Widdoes and John Glover in the 1977 Broadway revival of The Importance of Being Earnest.
Kathleen Widdoes, John Glover, Patricia Conolly, James Valentine, Elizabeth Wilson, G. Wood and Mary Louise Wilson in the 1977 Broadway revival of The Importance of Being Earnest.
Sheryl Lee and Esai Morales in the 1992 Broadway production of Salome.
Al Pacino and Suzanne Bertish in the 1992 Broadway production of Salome.
Surrounded by period-accurate, 19th-century holiday decorations lit via candlelight, the 70-minute production is based on Dickens' own script of the classic.
The play comes on the heels of a broader cultural conversation about Dahl's work and the prejudice that was embedded in many of his most beloved stories.
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