The Wittenberg University Department of Theatre and Dance presented its first mainstage production of the 2012-13 academic year,The Importance of Being Earnest, A Trivial Comedy for Serious People, by Oscar Wilde. President Laurie M. Joyner and her family enjoyed the Oct. 7 performance of the play directed by Jason Podplesky, in Chakeres Memorial Theatre.

First performed in 1895, Wilde’s final play, The Importance of Being Earnest, is an absurd comedy about Victorian courtship and manners that includes assumed names, mistaken lovers and a lost handbag. Jack and Algernon are best friends who are courting ladies who think their names are Earnest – a name which inspires absolute confidence. According to an entry on the website Wikipedia, “Wilde’s effervescent wit, scathing social satire and high farce make this one of the most cherished plays in the English language.”