Loretto, PA – This farcical comedy performance explores the themes of names and identity.
The University of St. Francis Fine Arts Center presents “Being Serious” at the JFK Auditorium on the University campus in Loretto on Thursdays and Fridays at 7:30 p.m., Saturdays at 2 and 7:30 p.m., and Sundays at 2 p.m. The importance of this will be performed.
“This play is something I have a lot of fond memories of. I had the opportunity to perform in it 15 years ago when I was a graduate student, and it was the best theater experience I've ever had, so I've always wanted to perform in it someday.” Directing plays is my career,” said executive producer Lance Mekeel.
“The play's themes are relevant to this time in our lives in that it considers how language is used and deployed by those in power to control society and social norms. Value of Engagement” This is a text.
The Importance of Being Earnest is a three-act play written in 1895 by Oscar Wilde.
It is one of the most famous plays in the British theatrical canon, and remains one of the most effective skewers of the Western world's social elite.
The play tells the story of Jack Worthing, a 29-year-old English gentleman who assumes the fictional identity of a man named Ernest.
Ultimately, when questions are raised about his parentage, both for the purposes of his planned engagement and the young woman he is guardianship of, he realizes that the lie he has been living is not that different from the truth. I notice. all.
“Stylistically, the piece is a comedy of manners, not realism. It allows students to play with a style of embodiment that they don't experience in everyday life,” Mekeel said.
“They get to physically explore these characters, and the language itself becomes very rich. Wilde wrote plays that present so many layers of meaning, and the students We really enjoy playing around with dual purposes and multiple meanings of what we're saying.”
The production will feature a cast of nine actors and a crew of 12.
“There's a lot of laughter and joy in rehearsals and everyone is having a great time,” Mekeel said.
“They have all been very receptive to this production. Part of my job as a drama teacher is to understand what is behind the text and why it is written the way it is. It's about making sure things are understood by the students. They really embraced how different this text is from modern realistic style plays.”
He said he hopes audiences get a lot of laughs from the production.
“They're going to see how foolish it is for people in power to try to stay in power,” Mekeel said.
“If people were asking for realism, they wouldn't get it. We're constantly breaking the fourth wall and making sure the cast understands that this is a play. That is important.”
Tickets are $10 for general admission, $7 for St. Francis University faculty and staff, and $5 for students.
To order tickets, visit events.francis.edu/event/the_importance_of_being_earnest.
Kelly Urban is a reporter for the Tribune-Democrat. She can be reached at (814) 532-5073. Follow her on Twitter @KellyUrban25.