Crafton’s Theatre Arts Department brings Oscar Wilde classic to PAC - Crafton Hills College

Publish Date: Dec. 1, 2023

Actors on stage.

What is it about the name ‘Ernest’? For two women in Oscar Wilde’s 1800s three-act play, “The Importance of Being Earnest,” it means true love.

Talented actors of Crafton Hills College’s Theatre Arts Department brought Wilde’s farcical comedy to life by bringing wit, humor, and a few plot twists to audiences in the Finkelstein Performing Arts Center, Dec. 1, 2 and 3.

The play tells the story of a man a named Jack Worthing, who finds himself in a pickle: falling in love with a woman, Gwendolen Fairfax, who believes his name to be Ernest, a name Worthing created to cover up his behavior in dubious circumstances. As per many of Wilde’s play, shenanigans quickly follow.

“I think the script is timeless, especially given the rise of reality TV,” explained Paul Jacques, the production’s director and department chair, when asked why the show resonated with the audience. “The genre is called ‘Comedy of Manners,’ which was all about laughing at silly rich people. There’s a strong connection between laughing at Algernon or Cecily and laughing at the Kardashians or the Real Housewives.”

Crafton’s “Earnest” cast was composed of nine, each with a knack for comedy, including 18-year-old Juniper Burgess as Miss Fairfax, whose biggest roadblock in finding love is her mother, who is actively searching for a suitable suitor for her daughter.  

While some may have found the 130-year-old script intimidating, both director and actor credit many rehearsals and research for creating a cohesive production.

Jacques explained, “We did a fair amount of what is called ‘table work’ early on to go over the situations and humor in place,” explained Paul Jacques. “The key to any piece is to find the challenge that it poses and focus on those. I told the cast early on that the words were all that we had, so we had to make sure that we understood what was going on so that the audience would understand, in turn.”

Burgess, a first-year Crafton student, agreed. “I think that the most difficult part about bringing an 1880s script to life is having to get down the specific mannerisms and language from that time,” she said. “It takes a lot of research and finessing, but in the end, it always helps me feel closer to the character.”

Crafton Hills College is just the latest theater arts group to bring the piece to life since it premiered at St. James Theatre in London on Valentine’s Day, 1895. Since then, the play has been turned into multiple film adaptations, operas and musicals, and radio broadcasts. Jacques credits its popularity to shows like “Downtown Abbey” and the importance of finding the right cast to bring Wilde’s play to life.

“The cast was really focused and worked as a team,” he said. “I …have to give a lot of credit to the student actors and the stage management on being so determined to make this show what it turned out to be.

“You simply can’t teach that,” he added.

Rounding out Crafton’s cast were:

  • Jonathan Black as Lane
  • Elijah Lozano as Algernon Moncrieff
  • Arthur Buenaventura as Jack Worthing
  • Kat Jacques as Lady Bracknell
  • Olivia Jacques as Cecily Cardew
  • Bailey Spletzer as Miss Prism
  • Ivan Gowars as Canon Chasuble
  • Kevin Horan as Merriman

Crafton will stage two productions in the spring, including the musical “Legally Blonde” April 26-28. To learn more about the department, go to craftonhills.edu/theatrearts.