Importance of Being Earnest at Somerset Valley Players

Since the pandemic has put most all live shows on hold, theatres – like the nonprofit Somerset Valley Players in Hillsborough, NJ – have had to find new and creative ways to provide audiences with entertainment. Technology has been a 21st century solution. And SVP is pairing it with a comedy that is over a century old.

“Audiences are still delighted with The Importance of Being Earnest because it is irresistibly witty,” says Richard Butler, director of SVP’s virtual production of the Oscar Wilde classic. “One of the play’s major themes is making fun of Victorian England’s upper class hypocrisy, and making fun of hypocrisy never goes out of style,” he adds with a chuckle.

The Importance of Being Earnest has been one of the most produced plays in the English language since it opened in London on Valentine’s Day in 1895. It tells the story of two Victorian gentlemen, Jack and Algernon, and the lies they tell to woo the women they love. “Fortunately, the humor in ‘Earnest’ is not dependent on the Victorian setting,” comments producer Emily M. Windus, producer, “so even in the virtual environment the show still works.”

“It is a delightful confection of a play,” Butler continues. “It’s very suited to the virtual platform. So much of the charm is in its wonderful language. The laughs are not dependent on stage business, like a door-slamming farce.”
Butler and Windus teamed up to direct and produce SVP’s first foray into virtual production last August with Blithe Spirit. That experience has proven valuable in making ‘Earnest’ as entertaining as possible. Being virtual “doesn’t mean there is no staging at all,” explains Butler. “Small physical moments from the actors can make an enormous difference between a static reading and a true performance.”

“Because the actors are all in different locations physically it’s important that they remain truly involved in any scene they are part of,” offers stage manager Shannen Rivers. “How they go about listening is just as important as how they say their lines.”

“The Importance of Being Earnest is one of the greatest comedies in the English language,” states Butler, “It can still be as fresh and funny today as it was to Victorian audiences over 100 years ago.”

The Importance of Being Earnest will stream Friday, April 16, and Saturday, April 24, at 8 pm, and on Sunday, May 2, at 7 pm. On-demand viewing access may be announced at a later date.
Tickets are $12 per viewing device and available on the SVP website: www.svptheatre.org.
The show’s sponsor is Edgestone Realtor Gilbert Gray, who has also appeared in past productions on the SVP stage.

The Somerset Valley Players theater is located on 689 Amwell Road (Route 514) in Hillsborough. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, the theatre building is currently closed.
For tickets, show times, and updates on the theatre, go to www.svptheatre.org.