The Importance of Being Earnest

Daniel Fredrick,Jake Blouch,
Alanna J. Smith & Lauren Sowa

Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest is appearing on Walnut Street’s mainstage through April 30. Calling the settings of the first-act Victorian London flat and second-act Manor House garden magnificent may sound like a hyperbole, but when the curtain arose at the beginning of each act, the audience applauded wildly in appreciation. The audience is fully invested throughout the production. Oscar Wilde’s best known piece, this is a farce of epic proportions and the humor is not lost on the audience. Philadelphia favorites Mary Martello, Jake Blouch, and Ellie Mooney join the rest of the very talented ensemble cast to tell Oscar Wilde’s very funny tale of identity crisis and the powers of true love, albeit with a twist thrown in for good measure. Alanna J. Smith is excellent as the simpering Cecily Cardew, "Uncle Jack's" ward. Daniel Fredrick is every-so-silly as he pretends to be Earnest, "Uncle Jack's" brother while trying to woo Cecily. The Importance of Being Earnest may be a 19th Century piece of outrageousness, but it “holds up” today. Audiences appreciate the latest iteration as much as audiences did when the production was introduced in London in 1895. Don’t be left out.  For tickets or more information, call 215-574-3550, 800-892-2787, visit online at www.WalnutStreetTheatre.org or Ticketmaster.