By Aly Beckham and Molly O’Dea

April 30^th, 2015

Eccentric, Victorian humor. A woman played by a St. X student. High school students from Kentucky talking in British accents. These are just some of the details witnessed during Assumption’s spring production, The Importance of Being Earnest. A witty play all about Aesthetic Movement in Victorian Britain, the show was met with overwhelming delight by the audience, receiving a standing ovation and many laughs along the way.

Since early March, the company has been working tirelessly to bring this story to life. Because the play is set in the 1800s, the cast and crew had to go above and beyond to make it realistic. “The accents were a little difficult to master. We even had to bring in a dialect coach,” says Elizabeth Standridge, Assistant stage manager. “But my favorite part was probably seeing the set come to life. It was cool to see it come out of Mr. Sumey’s (director) mind onto the stage.”

Full of surprising twists and sarcastic jokes, the show was a great crowd pleaser, drawing many chuckles from the audience. Junior Grace Tarter states, “It was a lot funnier than most of the past shows. I think everyone really understood and enjoyed it.” One part that seemed to surprise people was the character of Lady Bracknell- a snobby old woman- played by Eli Meyer- a guy. “If I could describe the show in three words, they’d be fun, interesting, and Eli,” Tarter says.

Overall, the play was well loved by everyone, both the audience and the company. Compared to past shows, Standridge says it’s definitely a different type of play, especially in terms of humor, set, and timing. Tarter thought it was one of the best performances put on by the company, saying, “It opens you up to a new environment and makes you think of things you wouldn’t have before”.

Even though this show is over, the company won’t be resting for long. They’ll soon be preparing for their fall musical Into the Woods, which will open on November 6^th. Let’s continue to show our support as a community for these amazing productions!