This year’s adaptation of  The Importance Of Being Earnest was incredible and fascinating.

The WHHS drama department opened up December with the play, The Importance of Being Earnest on December 1st, 2nd, and 3rd. The play is set during the 19th century in England where two Englishmen find love. However, their significant others are under the impression that these two men are both names, Earnest Worthing. While the two alter-ego’s unraveled, Lady Bracknell and Miss.Prism engaged in a speculation that exposes their past. Oscar Wilde, the author of the novel, is known for his subtle humor and satire towards marriage, social class, and Victorian mannerisms.

The play was led by Kyle Dunnigan, as Algernon Moncrieff, and Eric Miller as Jack Worthing. Female leads consisted of Katie Durot as Gwendolen, Veronica Gail as Cecily, and Jade He as Lady Bracknell. During intermission and between scenes, the stage managers, Shannah Harris and Liz Hect were dressed as maids to clean and reorganize the set.  The students in the play were perfectly cast and fit the roles of their characters perfectly. They recreated the setting by speaking in British accents and dressing in Victorian clothing.

The male characters wore suits and their costumes sometimes included a top hat and a monocle; female character costumes consisted of long dresses with intricate details and even bows. The hair and makeup seamlessly depicted an English, 19th-century setting. Each character embodies the essence of each character and was able to fit each personality incredibly well.

What impressed me the most was the fluency and consistency of the lines that each character spoke. The actual book was given to each student as a script, where the actors had to memorize and perfect. Despite the occasional stutter, each actor and actress was able to pronounce and swiftly recite their lines. However, some lines were spoken too quickly to digest, making it hard to understand some scenes.  

“The characters did an amazing job embodying every character from the original novel. It is hard to duplicate such an amazing piece of work, yet the students did it effortlessly. They never cease to amaze me,” says Isabel Martel, a junior at WHHS.

The crew did an incredible job including details to every aspect of the play. Every witty line was recited with emphasis and kept the audience completely engaged. The props that were used tied the whole show together.

The play was full of romance, deception,humor, and, of course, drama. The comical adaptation of Wilde’s novel was a complete success that I wish I could experience again.