UCM Theatre & Dance to Present ‘The Importance of Being Earnest’
By Quentin Weed
UCM Student & Townsquare Intern
UCM Theatre & Dance will be presenting The Importance of Being Earnest written by Oscar Wilde at the UCM Highlander Theatre on November 19 to 22 at 7:30 p.m., with an additional 2 p.m. show on the 22.
ASL interpreters will be provided during the November 21 performance.
Tickets are $20 for general public, $15 for UCM employees, $10 for Non-UCM Students, free for UCM students with their student ID, and free for active military, veterans, and military families with a military ID. Tickets can be acquired from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday at the UCM Theatre and Dance Office in Martin 113, by calling (660) 543-4020, or online at ucmboxoffice.universitytickets.com.
Those eligible for free tickets should present their respective ID at the Theatre and Dance Box Office. The 2 p.m. performance on November 22 will be a Pay-What-You-Can performance, where tickets will be available for any amount, $1 or more.
The Importance of Being Earnest is a comedy which uses satire, clever dialogue, and biting humor to expose the absurdities of class, courtship, and identity present in Victorian England. The play retains popularity today thanks to its intelligence and charm.
Aaron Scully, Ph.D., associate professor of Theatre and production director, commented that “Oscar Wilde created a cast of characters that are really exciting for our actors to embrace – accent and all.” Scully added that Oscar Wilde’s masterful use of comedy in a “satire-punchline combination” is what makes the play so special, creating a “hilarious journey of love and mischief.”
UCM Theatre and Dance also had a special guest team member for the production, dialect coach Franklin Wagner. Wagner stated that “the cast has been wonderful to work with,” adding that they were “committed… to exploring the sounds of Received Pronunciation” to “support the wit and charm” of the play, something he expects will make the “characters come to life on stage.”
Cast and crew are as follows:
Cast: Cal Klaus as Algernon, John Plasencio as Jack, Grace’e Carr as Cecily, Raegan Weber as Gwendolen, Hannah Vath as Lady Bracknell, Illary Soto as Miss Prism, Xander Corkins as Rev. Chasuble, Payton Lawrence as Lane, and Ellie Siegfried as Merriman.
Production Team: Director Aaron Scully, Assistant Director Rosalyn Schuster, Stage Manager Gabe Sokolowski, Assistant Stage Managers Rosalyn Schuster and Shannon Williamson, Dialect Coach Franklin Wagner, Technical Director Spencer Musser, Assistant Technical Director Daniel Aubun, Lighting Designer Ari Kendrick, Sound Designer Sam
Fischer, Lighting and Sound Faculty Advisor Aleksandra Combs, Scenic Designer Spencer Musser, Assistant Scenic Designer Emma Stevens, Properties Designer Alyna Mathews, Costume Designer and Costume Shop Supervisor Cassie Kay Hoppas, Hair and Makeup Designer Lucy Nutt, Sound Board Operator Maddison Cole, Light Board Operator Mason Enright, Publicity/Marketing Director Aaron Scully, Social Media Marketing Specialist Madison Keep, Scene Shop Graduate Assistant Jack Ezell, Wardrobe Crew Head Lola Simmons, School of Visual and Performing Arts Events Manager Mackynze Rosas, Office Professional Lars Jepsen, and student office workers Jake Collins and Madison Keep.
Additional Production Team: Wardrobe Crew Ava Broerman, Noah McEwen, and Cami Wieberg; Run Crew Finn Juliano, Dawson Black, Damian Schaffnit, and Rylin Tolle; Scene Shop Hires Sam Fischer, Payton Lawrence, Lizzy Molina, Mayeli Rodriguez, Rosalyn Schuster, Emma Stevens, and Rylin Tolle; Lighting Shop Hires Brody Lafrentz, Ari Kendrick, and Gabe Sokolowski; Costume Shop Hires Josie Hougham, Sage Miller, Avory Nail, Lucy Nutt, and Emma Stevens; and Box Office and House Management Team Daniel Aubun, Jake Collins, Sam Fischer, and Alyna Mathews.
After this production, two more will remain in the 2025-2026 Make ‘Em Laugh season. These include Bus Stop from February 26 to March 1 and 9 to 5 from April 17 to 19 and April 23 to 25. For more information, call 660-543-4020, email boxoffice@ucmo.edu, or email Ashley Miller-Scully, chair of the Division of Theatre and Dance, at almiller@ucmo.edu.
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