Two couples and one common name, Earnest Worthing, provide the Starkville Community Theater with a story that is humorous and interesting for the audience.
“The Importance of Being Earnest,” by Oscar Wilde is a classic, and the SCT had not done a classic in a while, director Lyle Tate said.
“We do smart, witty comedies, I think, the best,” he said.
The cast includes returning SCT members Christopher Walrath, Kris Lee, Marcus Vowell, Madeline Golden, Mandy Kinney and Thomas La Foe and two new members, he said.
“I’ve had these characters and people in my mind for so long, it’s exciting to see who they are,” Tate said.
Two new actors, Katrina Bohn and Tracy Power play Gwendolen Fairfax and Ms. Prism, respectively, and Tate said the way they fit into the cast seems like they have been with the SCT for years.
“This is just a power cast in my opinion,” Tate said.
The cast rehearsed for 10 hours a week for six weeks and were ready two to three days before opening to try out an audience, he said.
“We knew we had something really exciting and special,” Tate said.
In early performances the audience has been receptive and shows have been full, he said.
“I thought overall [the performers] were very entertaining. They seemed to be prepared for the show,” junior industrial and systems engineering major Chase Boothe said.
The play was funny and seemed to be accurate to the time, Boothe said.
Freshman political science major Ebony Bolling said she loved the plot shift and the humorous aspects of the play.
“Aunt Augusta is by far my favorite character because I kind of have a family member like [her] who doesn’t listen to anything people say,” Bolling said.
She said she prefers plays over going to the movies because of the interactive atmosphere.
“We’re having so much fun. We have some crazy characters, just some people who are crazy characters, and we laugh back stage,” said Madeline Golden, who plays Aunt Augusta.
The actors enjoyed favorable responses from the audiences, she said.
“I’ve been familiar with this play for years, and I’ve always loved it,” Golden said.
Tate said he’s pleased with the way the actors have picked up the parts and worked together like a family.
The play was picked by a committee who began by reading about 75 plays and then narrowed the list down to a final four which will be performed this season, Tate said.
“It’s a fun committee, but it’s a lot of work,” he said.
“The Importance of Being Earnest” was chosen because everyone in the group loved it, and it’s just a great play, Tate said.
The play, which began on Sept. 11 will continue through Saturday with performances beginning at 7:30 p.m each night.
The play is being held at the Playhouse on Main in downtown Starkville.
Following “The Importance of Being Earnest,” SCT’s next play will be Stephen Sondheim’s 1971 Tony Award-winning musical, “Company,” from Oct. 30 through Nov. 8.
For more information about the SCT or upcoming plays, visit sct-online.com.
From left: Kris Lee as Algernon Moncrieff and Madeline Goldern as Lady Agusta Bracknell perform in the SCT’s production of the Victorian comedy “The Importance of Being Earnest.”