The wit of Wilde
Published 7:01 am Tuesday, February 25, 2020
- Gwendolen Fairfax (Faith Rautenkranz) and John Worthing (Oscar Quintero) steal a moment away in the play “The Importance of Being Earnest,” a Riverland play slated to start Wednesday at Frank W. Bridges Theatre. Eric Johnson/photodesk@austindailyherald.com
RCC Theatre presents ‘The Importance of Being Earnest’
Riverland Community College Theatre will be performing its spring production, “The Importance of Being Earnest” by Oscar Wilde, from Feb. 26 through March 1.
“The Importance of Being Earnest” has proven to be Oscar Wilde’s most enduring—and endearing—play. Jack Worthing and Algernon Moncrieff create alter egos named Ernest to escape their tiresome lives. They attempt to win the hearts of two women who, conveniently, claim to only love men called Ernest. The pair struggle to keep up with their own stories and become tangled in a tale of deception, disguise and misadventure.
Faith Rautenkranz, playing Gwendolen Fairfax, rehearses a scene for the upcoming Riverland play, “The Importance of Being Earnest.” Eric Johnson/photodesk@austindailyherald.com
Filled with witty Victorian aphorisms and Wilde’s own brand of wisdom, “The Importance of Being Earnest” remains one of theatre’s most popular comedies.
“‘Earnest’ is an extremely funny play,” said director Susan V. Hansen. “Every character is different from what they seem to be. I love its satire of human response that still rings true today. Hopefully we can all laugh at ourselves a bit.”
“‘Earnest’ is also a very good learning experience for the students,” she added. “It requires a study in stylization and comic timing.”
Brianna Ahlbrecht, playing Lady Bracknell in the Riverland production of “The Importance of Being Earnest.” Eric Johnson/photodesk@austindailyherald.com
Some material may not be suitable for young children.
Show times are 7 p.m. on Feb. 26- 29 and 2 p.m. on March 1. All shows will be performed at the Frank W. Bridges Theatre in the East Building on Riverland’s Austin Campus.
Individual tickets are $13 and currently on sale at www.riverland.edu/tickets 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The online ticketing system allows customers to pay by Visa, MasterCard, American Express or Discover.
Tickets may also be purchased at the Riverland Box Office, located in room E107 in the East Building of the Austin campus. Box office hours are 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday through Friday and one hour before performances.
Riverland students receive two free tickets to each performance with a valid student ID. Contact the box office at 507-433-0595 or by emailing boxoffice@riverland.edu.
Oscar Quintero, playing John Worthing,” goes round the couch with Ed Dreyer, playing” Algernon Moncrieff during rehearsal for the upcoming Riverland production of “The Importance of Being Earnest.” Eric Johnson/photodesk@austindailyherald.com
Cast
Brianna Ahlbrecht: Lady Bracknell
Alexis Ayers: Miss Prism
Yasmin Bacelar de Souza: Cecily Cardew
Ed Dreyer: Algernon Moncrieff
Austin Hodnefield: Dr. Chasuble
Quincy Muzik: Lane/Merriman
Oscar Quintero: John “Jack” Worthing
Faith Rautenkranz: Gwendolen Fairfax
Crew
Susan V. Hansen: Director
John Deyo: Set and Lighting Designer
Madlain Vander: Costumes
Emily Funke: Stage Manager
