Theatre Wesleyan has announced that tickets are now on sale for the second show of the 2025-2026 season: Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest, which will be produced in-the-round.

Performances will be presented at the Thad Smotherman Theatre at Texas Wesleyan University (1205 Binkley Street, 76105) from Thursday, November 13 through Saturday, November 22, 2025. Tickets can be purchased online at txwes.edu/theatretickets.

The Importance of Being Earnest is a glorious comedy of mistaken identity, which ridicules codes of propriety and etiquette. Dashing men-about-town John “Jack” Worthing (Aaron Simmons) and Algernon Moncrieff (Tristan Andrews) pursue fair ladies Gwendolen Fairfax (Makailyn Felder) and Cecily Cardew (Bianca Zamorano). Matters are complicated by the imaginary characters invented by both men to cover their on-the-sly activities — not to mention the disapproval of Gwendolen's mother, the formidable Lady Bracknell (Trinity Chenault). The cast also includes Madison McKinzie as Miss Prism, Dylan Evans as Rev. Canon Chasuble, Oscar Lopez as Lane, and Madisyn Savard as Merriman.

The cast, production team, and crew include Texas Wesleyan theatre majors and minors pursuing Bachelor or Bachelor of Fine Arts degrees, as well as members of the faculty and staff. The initial members of the production team include Jeanne Everton (director), Nathalie Beyna (stage manager), Zella Hays (assistant stage manager), Pella LeFever (scenic design), Trinity Chenault (costume design), Ricky Olivarez (lighting design), Elizabeth Holmes (sound design), Chad Rojas (props design), and Rocky Olguin (poster/graphic design).

ABOUT THE PLAYWRIGHT

Oscar Wilde (1854-1900) was born in Dublin to Sir William Wilde and his wife Jane. While studying at Oxford, he was fascinated by the aesthetic movement and eventually became a proponent for L'art pour l'art (“Art for Art's Sake”) and wrote the award-winning poem “Ravenna.” Upon graduating in 1879, he moved to London to review art, write poetry and lecture in the UK, the United States and Canada. In 1884, Mr. Wilde married Constance Lloyd and, in the course of their turbulent marriage, had two sons.

His first and only novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray, was published in 1891 and has been adapted for film and stage. Mr. Wilde's first successful theatrical endeavor, Lady Windermere's Fan, opened in 1892. He went on to create the wonderfully popular comedies A Woman of No Importance (1893), An Ideal Husband (1895), and the classic The Importance of Being Earnest (1895).

Not long afterward, Mr. Wilde was publicly accused of homosexuality and arrested for gross indecency. During his time in prison, he wrote De Profundis, a dramatic monologue and autobiography, which was addressed to his lover Bosie. Three years after his release in 1897, he died of cerebral meningitis in a rundown Paris hotel.

Known for his philosophical wit and irreverent charm, Mr. Wilde is famously quoted as saying, “Life is too important to be taken seriously.”

PERFORMANCE DATES

• Thursday, November 13 at 7:30 pm
• Friday, November 14 at 7:30 pm
• Saturday, November 15 at 7:30 pm
• Thursday, November 20
• Friday, November 21 at 7:30 pm
• Saturday, November 22 at 2:00 pm Matinee

Please Note: The performance schedule varies slightly from the usual pattern due to Texas Wesleyan University’s Thanksgiving break. Earnest will play a final performance with a Saturday matinee. There will not be any Sunday performances.

PERFORMANCE INFORMATION

Tickets are $10.00 and can be purchased online at txwes.edu/theatretickets or by calling (817) 531-4211. Tickets will also be available at the door in-person beginning one hour before each performance.

The production is recommended for ages 13 and up and has a runtime of approximately 2 hours and 15 minutes, in addition to a 15-minute intermission.

All plans and information are subject to change. Please refer to Theatre Wesleyan on Facebook (facebook.com/theatrewesleyan) or Instagram (@theatrewesleyan) for the most up-to-date details.

If you have questions, please contact the Theatre Wesleyan office at (817) 531-5867.

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THEATRE WESLEYAN WEBSITE & SOCIAL CHANNELS

WEBSITE: www.txwes.edu/theatre
BOX OFFICE WEBSITE: www.txwes.edu/theatretickets

FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com/TheatreWesleyan
INSTAGRAM: www.instagram.com/TheatreWesleyan @theatrewesleyan