Line for line, The Importance of Being Earnest is without a doubt Oscar Wilde’s wittiest play. Ever. Ironically, it was also Wilde’s final play that premiered just weeks before the court case that led to his imprisonment for homosexuality.
Call it a cruel twist of fate — for Wilde never wrote a comedy again — this wildly popular comedy of manners is coming to a theatre near you. Pine Tree Players will stage the sharply satirical play from April 15-25.
First performed in 1895 in London, this luscious romcom follows the tangled affairs of two young men-about-town who lead double lives to escape social obligations, both assuming the name Ernest while wooing two eligible young women.
Will this production stay true to the Irishman’s original text or will it look more like Bridgerton’s playbook loaded with 21st-century nudge-wink playfulness? Without revealing too much, a few cast members offer a glimpse:
Emma Rafferty and Nan Hughes Poole
Consumed with class snobberies, Nan Poole’s Lady Bracknell promptly explains (in a hoity-toity email) that her daughter Gwendolyn, “must marry someone of position . . . and that marriage has nothing to do with love. It is all about position.”
As to whether Bracknell’s values evolve with the shifting societal norms that were occurring during Victorian times, Poole tut-tuts, explaining, “Lady Bracknell is not interested in evolution but preserving social order and hierarchy.”
This may be Poole’s debut with Pine Tree Players but her roots with community theatre run deep. She first took the stage as a 10-year-old when she played the Artful Dodger in Oliver. And then again in high school, when she starred as Eliza Doolittle in My Fair Lady.
But why Earnest? Why now?
“Comedies are such fun to be in,” she says, “and many consider The Importance of Being Earnest the greatest drawing room comedy of all time. The jokes never get old, and I love to laugh. Besides, I am thrilled to be able to use a British accent.”
Sherry Thompson and Emma Rafferty
Gwendolyn, Lady Bracknell’s determined daughter, is played by Emma Rafferty, who says she first fell in love with the play more than the role.
“I am Irish and have always admired Oscar Wilde’s ability to push societal boundaries,” she says. “This play in particular is so creative and witty — almost every sentence has a punchline. It’s also retained its humour over time, which many plays don’t.
“As for my character,” adds Rafferty, “Gwen is intelligent, witty, and headstrong and knows exactly what she wants. Plus, she knows how to use her playful personality to achieve her desires, so it didn’t take long to fall in love with her too.”
L-R: Colton Darnell, Craig Lindsay and Sherry Thompson
Wilde’s polished oxymorons and inverted wisdom are being buffed up right now as rehearsals are heating up, with the opening night just days away.
Directing this play has been a long-standing dream for Sherry Thompson who has loved this play since high school. When asked how she has tried to make this play accessible for a contemporary audience, Thompson likens it to an episode of Seinfeld performed by the cast of Downton Abbey.”
Quick to give credit to the popularity of Bridgerton and Peaky Blinders, “modern audiences are quite familiar with what may have been considered proper behaviour at the time. There may be a few British references that will be unfamiliar to a Canmore audience, but I think poking fun at the upper classes is something audiences have enjoyed for centuries.”
Would Wilde approve of this production’s all-round misbehaviour? Thompson thinks so.
“Victorian society was rigid, with strict expectations for every class,” she says. “Stepping outside those roles could be scandalous — and a scandal could ruin a reputation and affect your entire family. It is a wonder everybody didn’t have a secret identity, if only to have a little fun!”
Showtimes: April 15-18 & 23-25, 2025 @ 7:30 p.m.| April 19 @ 2:00 p.m.
Where: Miners’ Union Hall | Canmore
The Importance of Being Earnest, A Trivial Comedy for Serious People is packed with razor-sharp wit, mistaken identities, and delightfully absurd romance.
When two charming bachelors invent alter egos to escape social obligations, their double lives collide in a whirlwind of love, lies, and cucumber sandwiches. Featuring some of theatre’s most unforgettable characters, including the formidable Lady Bracknell, this timeless classic skewers Victorian society with elegance and hilarity.
Don’t miss Pine Tree Players’ fast-paced, laugh-out-loud production of one of theatre’s most celebrated comedies.
Deb Cummings
About the Author: Deb Cummings is a retired journalist (mostly) who is terrified to sit in the front row of any theatre for fear of being called up on stage. She does, however, have aspirations to be a doo- wop girl (although she can’t sing) and spends a surprising amount of time watching plays or reading books that normalize the mortifying experience of being human.