[NEohioPAL]THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST opens at Porthouse Theat

[emadden]

Oscar Wilde=92s THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST opens at Porthouse Theatre

       Cuyahoga Falls -  Porthouse Theatre continues its Season of the Heart 
with Oscar Wilde=92s romantic comedy THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST running 
July 4 through July 19.  Opening night is July 5, followed by a free champagne 
reception.  Directed by John Woodson, artistic director of The Warehouse 
Theater in Greenville, South Carolina.

=09Filled with brilliant wit and wisdom, EARNEST tells the tale of Jack Worthing 
and Algernon Moncrieff, two young gents living in 1890=92s England.  Both have 
taken to bending the truth to add a bit of excitement to their otherwise 
mundane lives.  Jack has invented a brother, Ernest, whom he uses as an excuse 
to escape his obligations at his country home and frolic in town.  Algernon=92s 
invention involves an imaginary invalid friend, Bunbury, who provides a 
convenient and frequent reason to head to the country.  In true farcical 
fashion, their deceptions converge, resulting in hilarious repercussions which 
threaten to spoil their romantic pursuits with their love interests, Gwendolyn 
Fairfax and Cecily Cardew.

         THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST, which originally opened on 
Valentine=92s Day in 1895 at London=92s St. James Theatre, has been referred to as 
Wilde=92s trivial comedy for serious people and contains what many consider as 
some of the best loved lines in English literature.

=09=93This play is filled with sarcasm and some of the greatest one-liners,=94 said 
director, John Woodson.  =93But this play is such a lasting one, not because of 
the comedy, but because the text is so much more substantial than just some 
great one-liners.  The comedy actually comes out of the true needs that these 
characters have, and there is great humor when there are great needs.=94

=09Woodson, who is the artistic and executive director of The Warehouse Theatre 
in Greenville, South Carolina, is no stranger to Cleveland.  He has played the 
likes of  Ebeneezer Scrooge in A CHRISTMAS CAROL,  Kent in KING LEAR with Hal 
Holbrook and Herbie in GYPSY, all at The Great Lakes Theater Festival.  His 
directing credits are vast and include productions for Warehouse Theatre, 
Alabama Shakespeare Festival, Charlotte Repertory and North Carolina School of 
the Arts, just to name a few.  He is joined by his wife, Monica Bell, who is 
playing Lady Bracknell.  Bell is a master teacher of the Suzuki Method of 
Actor Training and performs throughout the U.S.
 
THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST cast includes:
 
Simon Kendall* (John Worthing)of Cleveland Hts., OH

Nicholas Koesters* (Algernon Moncrieff)of Cleveland, OH

Rohn Thomas* (Reverend Canon Chasuble)of Reminderville, OH

Rick Montgomery (Merriman/Lane) of Akron, OH

Monica Bell* (Lady Bracknell)of Greenville, SC

Meghan Hanlon* (Gwendolyn Fairfax) of Astoria, NY

Lisa Marie Schueller (Cecily Cardew) of Akron, OH

Pandora Robertson (Miss Prism) of Cleveland Hts., OH

Kari Warchock (French Tart) of Shaker Hts., OH
*Member of the Actors=92 Equity Association.

          Porthouse is proud to announce that we will be partnering with the 
American Heart Association for THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST.  Our 
involvement with the American Heart Association includes selling the AHA 
hearts at the theatre throughout the season and dedicating opening weekend of 
THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST to the American Heart Association.  $4 of 
every full-priced ticket purchased opening weekend will go directly to the 
AHA.  Jacqueline Loomis will be working with us on this project.  She is a 
Freshman Theatre major at Kent State University as well as a survivor of seven 
open-heart surgeries.  We our delighted to have her join us as our Community 
Outreach Assistant.

         Tickets prices range from $15 - $22, depending on the day of the 
week. Preview is Friday, July 4th. Opening night is July 5, followed by a free 
champagne reception.  Special discounts are available for groups of 10 or 
more, seniors and students. Reserve tickets by calling 1-800-304-2363 or 
330-672-2497.  The box office is open Monday =96 Saturday from 11:00 am =96 5:00 
pm in the Music & Speech Center at Kent State University.  Performances are at 
8:00 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, and 2:00 p.m. on Sunday.

=09Porthouse Theatre, founded in 1971, is the premier summer theatre in 
Northeast Ohio.  Set on the grounds of Blossom Music Center in Cuyahoga Falls, 
Porthouse offers audiences the finest in professional summer theatre.  The 
comfortable 500-seat, outdoor, covered pavilion theater is located next to the 
Cuyahoga Valley National Park.  Audience members are encouraged to arrive 
early to picnic on the grounds, or guests can reserve space in the Thornbury 
picnic pavilion for a minimal charge.  Boxed dinners are also available for 
$9.  A full menu can be found at 
http://www.theatre.kent.edu/porthouse/Tickets/menu.htm .  Porthouse Theatre is 
a cultural service of Kent State University and is a member of the Akron Area 
Arts Alliance.  Porthouse Theatre=92s programs and activities are made possible 
in part by funding from the Ohio Arts Council.
=09=09=09=09###

For more information contact:
Effie Tsengas @ 330-672-3884

Elisabeth Madden
Managing Director
School of Theatre & Dance
Porthouse Theatre
330-672-0103
emadden at kent.edu