‘The Importance of Being Earnest’: A Parent’s Take on the Classic Comedy

Some themes are timeless — love, humor, mistaken identities. Wrap those themes up in some of the best, wittiest writing to ever cross a stage and you’ve got Oscar Wilde’s “The Importance of Being Earnest.” 

The play tells the story of two young men, Jack and Algernon, who invent fake identities so they can slip away from their everyday lives for a bit of romance and fun (Jack likes to head to the city, Algeron to the country). Things get complicated when they both pretend to be named “Ernest” while flirting with two women who are very attached to that particular name. With mistaken identities, over-the-top characters and clever wordplay, the play pokes fun at Victorian society while delivering laugh-out-loud moments that still feel fresh today (this play was written in 1894!). This was the last play Wilde wrote. Wilde was gay, and in 1895 was convicted of “gross indecency” and sent to prison, from which he never fully recovered. He was only 46 when he died in France in 1900. 

Oscar Wilde certainly provided amazing material to work with, but it’s taken to the next level by the performance of the cast at Taproot Theatre. Every person captured their character perfectly and had me laughing throughout all three acts. The actors who played the very twitterpated couple Jack and Gwendolen (Calder Jameson Shilling and Kelly Karcher) are familiar faces to Taproot Theatre patrons. Their performance was made even sweeter by the fact that they are a real-life married couple. 

Who should see it 

Taproot Theatre recommends this play for kids ages 12 and older. The story revolves around secrets, crushes and double lives — things that feel pretty relatable when you’re figuring out your own identity. Wilde’s humor is sharp but playful, so even though the play is set 130 years ago, the comedy still totally lands today. It’s basically a classic rom-com with a twist, which makes it fun and easy for young audiences to connect with. 

There is nothing objectionable in the play at all, but the length (the play is 2 ½ hours long with one 15-minute intermission) and the sometimes complex language might make it difficult for a younger child to sit through or understand. 

If you have a budding thespian in your home, I highly recommend a trip to Taproot. Not only is this play exceptional, the Jewell Mainstage is a thrust stage (seats wrap around three sides), and the theater seats just 226 people. There is simply not a bad seat in the house, and experiencing high-quality theater in such an intimate setting is both exciting and inspiring. 

What parents should know 

Again, keep in mind the play’s length and that it was written in 1894, so some of the language can sound a little old-fashioned. The sets are beautiful, and kids will enjoy some of the clever set changes that involve a few of the minor characters. If you are seated in the first row, you will be inches from the action, and kids (and adults) will need to be sure to keep their feet off the stage. 

Not sure your kids are ready to sit through the play? You can still introduce them to Oscar Wilde! He wrote several children’s books, including “The Selfish Giant,” which was a favorite in my house when I was little. 

I loved this performance of “The Importance of Being Earnest.” Have I seen this play before? Yes. Will I escape again to this wild world of mistaken identity where everything ends up as it should? Absolutely, because as Wilde says: “The good ended happily, and the bad unhappily. That is what Fiction means.”