Ryan Holcombe of Newtown, PA., as Algernon and Maggie Gronenthal of Lawrenceville, NJ, as Cecily

(WEST WINDSOR, NJ) -- Oscar Wilde's farcical tale depicting the tangled affairs of two men-about-town leading double lives comes to the stage of Mercer County Community College's Kelsey Theatre when Shakespeare '70 presents The Importance of Being Earnest, June 20-29, 2025.

Wilde’s “trivial comedy for serious people,” now celebrating its 130th anniversary, remains as timely today as when it was first produced in 1895. The story involves two rakish young men, Jack Worthing and Algernon Moncrieff, who opt to navigate Victorian-era expectations of courtship simply by evading them. But when their personas and egos begin to collide, the pair get caught up in a wit-fueled whirlwind of mistaken identities and romantic snafus. In the end, the story reveals the absurd lengths that humans will go to in pursuit of acceptance, love, and truth.

The cast features Philip Bramson of East Brunswick, N.J.; Jacs Conforti of North Brunswick, N.J.; Tom Curbishley of Lawrenceville, N.J.; Susan Fowler of Langhorne, Pa.; Michael Gilbert of Cranbury, N.J.; Maggie Gronenthal of Lawrenceville; Ryan Holcombe of Newtown, Pa.; Shannon McGovern and Garrett Verdone of Cranford, N.J.; and Hester Young of Lawrenceville.

The Importance of Being Earnest is directed by Dr. John F. Erath of Biddeford, Maine, with Janet Quartarone of Flemington, as Assistant Director. Production managers are Lili Timmes of Princeton, and Curt Foxworth of Hightstown, who also handles lighting design. Stage managers are Justine DeNicola of Wayne, and Kelly Weeden of Cookstown. Sound design is by Chris Loos of Highland Park, with set design and technical direction by Dale Simon of Flemington.

Performances take place Friday, June 20 and June 27, and Saturday, June 21 at 8:00pm; and Saturday, June 28 and Sunday, June 22 and June 29 at 2:00pm at the Kelsey Theatre on MCCC’s West Windsor Campus, 1200 Old Trenton Road. Tickets are $22 for adults and $20 for children and students, and may be purchased online at www.kelseytheatre.org or by calling the Kelsey Box Office Monday through Thursday, 9:00am to noon, at (609) 570-3333.

Kelsey Theatre is wheelchair accessible, with free parking next to the Theatre. For a complete listing of adult and children's events, visit the Kelsey website or call the box office for a brochure.