It's all very clever.
Western Canada Theatre Company is putting on Oscar Wilde's The Importance of Being Earnest in a co-production with Persephone Theatre of Saskatoon.
The play is, of course, full of Wilde's witty dialog. It tells the story of two wealthy playboys in late 19th Century England. Jack Worthing becomes his bad-boy brother Ernest whenever he goes to the city. His friend Algernon thinks this is a fine idea, and takes the name Ernest Worthing in hopes of marrying Jack's ward, the lovely Cecily. Unfortunately, Jack's love interest, the beautiful Gwendolen Fairfax, thinks Jack's real name is Ernest and declares that she would never love anyone with a name like Jack.
It is all light-hearted humor with the occasional savage slice taken against the rigid class structure of the time.
The acting by Kirk Smith as Jack (and Ernest)Matthew Edison as Algernon (and Ernest), Stephanie Moroz as Cecily, and Jamie Lee Shebelski as Gwendolen is excellent, as are the performances by those in supporting roles. The set designs and production values are high.
The Importance of Being Earnest continues at the Sagebrush Theatre in Kamloops until Feb. 2.
