(MADISON, NJ) -- After a two-decade-long absence from The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey, Artistic Director Brian B. Crowe brings Oscar Wilde and his delicious wit back to the Main Stage with one of the playwright's most beloved comedies – The Importance of Being Earnest. The production runs from May 14 – June 1, 2025.
The play follows the hilarious antics of Algernon and Jack, two wildly eligible bachelors who will attempt anything to escape the constraints of Victorian society. In their dedicated pursuit of love, marriage, and happiness, they must navigate mistaken identities, a domineering matriarch, cucumber sandwiches, and a mysterious handbag. Wilde’s comic masterpiece is peppered with an array of wonderfully eccentric personalities and seasoned with his notoriously biting social commentary.
There’s a reason why critics have hailed it as “the funniest play ever written!” The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey will present The Importance of Being Earnest at The F.M. Kirby Shakespeare Theatre (36 Madison Avenue, Madison) on the campus of Drew University. Tickets for The Importance of Being Earnest begin at $44 for preview performances and $62 for regular performances. Prices range from $44 to $82 and are available for purchase online or by calling the Box Office at (973) 408-5600. Performances take place Tuesdays – Sundays at 7:30pm; Saturdays, Sundays, and select Wednesdays at 2:00pm.
“Bring on the belly laughs!” says Crowe. This laugh-out-loud comedy of manners by a master of the satiric is sure to tickle the funny bone of even the most cynical theatre-goer. In a classic tale of mistaken identity, The Importance of Being Earnest is a brilliant farce that exposes the measures that two desperate men will take to escape unsavory social obligations.
The ensemble cast brings veteran Marion Adler (STNJ - And a Nightingale Sang…, The Winter’s Tale, Exit the King) back to the Theatre as Lady Bracknell. Also featured are Richard Bourg (STNJ - Much Ado About Nothing) as Lane and Merriman; Christian Frost (STNJ - As You Like It, A Midwinter Night’s Dream, And A Nightingale Sang…) as Algernon; Alvin Keith (STNJ – A Midsummer Night’s Dream) as Rev. Chasuble; Carolyne Leys (STNJ – Book of Will) as Gwendolen; Tug Rice (STNJ – A Servant of Two Masters, The Royal Family) as Jack; Celia Schaefer (STNJ – The Rose Tattoo) as Miss Prism; and new company member Joyce Meimei Zheng as Cecily.
The creative team for the production includes Set Designer Sarah Beth Hall (STNJ – Book of Will, The Caretaker, The Rose Tattoo); Costume Designer Austin Blake Conlee (STNJ – The Gentleman’s Guide to Love & Murder, LIVE!’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream); and Lighting Designer Andrew Hungerford (STNJ – Macbeth, A Midwinter Night’s Dream). Jenna Gregson stage manages.
The Theatre offers various cost-saving opportunities, including $20 student tickets with a valid student ID and a limited number of Pay What You Will tickets for every performance on a first-come, first-serve basis. STNJ also has a $30 Under 30 ticket option, which offers $30 tickets for patrons aged 30 and under, with valid ID. Other discounts are available including Subscription discounts and 10% discounts for members of PBS/Thirteen, Active Military, AAA, and Madison Loyalty Club card holders. STNJ also honors the Family First Discovery Pass for families receiving benefits through SNAP, WIC, or Work First New Jersey. For tickets, patrons can call the Box Office at (973) 408-5600 or visit ShakespeareNJ.org.
Patrons are encouraged to check out these special upcoming events connected with the production:
* "Pay What You CAN” Food Drive Preview — Wednesday, May 14 at 7:30pm. Bring two canned goods and get $10 Admission!
* Storefront to Stage – Wednesday, May 21 starting at 6:30pm. Meet and support local businesses before the show and at intermission!
* Hobnob & Hang – Friday, May 23 at 7:30pm. Mix and mingle after the show! Snacks and cash bar available.
* The Wilde Garden Party — Wednesday, May 28 starting at 6:30pm. Join STNJ on the patio for a festive Wilde-themed pre-show gathering!
The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey (STNJ) is one of the leading Shakespeare theatres in the nation, serving approximately 75,000 adults and children annually. It is New Jersey's largest professional theatre company dedicated to Shakespeare's canon and other classic masterworks. Through its productions and education programs the company strives to illuminate the universal and lasting relevance of the classics for contemporary audiences.
The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey’s programs are made possible, in part, by funding from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, a partner agency of the National Endowment for the Arts, as well as contributions from numerous other foundations, corporations, government agencies, and individuals.
