March 12, 2010

Harding’s theatre department to present “The Importance of Being Earnest”

SEARCY, Ark. — Harding University’s theatre department will feature
Oscar Wilde’s classic comedy, “The Importance of Being Earnest,” April
1-3 and 8-10 in the Ulrey Performing Arts Center.

All shows will begin at 7 p.m., excluding April 3, which will be a 2
p.m. matinee only. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased online at
www.hardingtickets.com or at the door if the show is not sold out in
advance.

This timeless comedy follows Jack Worthing through the humorous
dilemmas caused by his creation of a double life under the name
Earnest. After falling in love with Gwendolen Fairfax, the cousin of
his good friend Algernon Moncrieff, he attempts to propose to her
under his false name, Earnest. However as Jack struggles to keep his
identity play a secret from Gwendolen’s disapproving mother and
Cecily, the ward left to him by his late adopted father, his worlds
are forced to mingle and unravel.

Set in the proper aristocratic society of the 1880s, a time when
appearances were everything yet ironically nothing in the end, the
play highlights the whimsical and imperfect nature of being in love.

“It has remained a constant favorite over the past century because it
deals with the universal theme of men in love with and yet in
competition with women,” said Professor Robin Miller, director of
Harding’s theatre program. “This theme is explored in a laugh-out-loud
way where you find yourself laughing at the fallacies of the cast then
realizing you are laughing at yourself.”

For more information, contact the College of Communication at 501-279-4445.