By Lily Jones | Staff Writer
The Salve Regina Theater Department is putting on a production of Oscar Wilde’s renowned play, The Importance of Being Earnest, which will be performed next weekend in the Casino Theatre.
The show will run Friday October 23rd through Saturday October 25th at 8pm, with additional showings on Saturday October 25th and Sunday October 26th at 2pm. The production will be held off campus in the Casino Theatre, located at 9 Freebody Street in Newport.
Members of the Salve Regina community and citizens of Newport are welcome to attend. Tickets are currently on sale at the theater’s box office and online at https://www.salve.edu/events/importance-of-being-earnest. The prices are $8 for Salve Regina students and faculty, $10 for seniors and military members, and $15 for general admission.
For Daniella Pantoliano, a member of the cast who is graduating from Salve with a theater degree in December, The Importance of Being Earnest will be her final show. She has the role of Gwendolyn, who is the love interest of the play’s main character, Jack.
According to Pantoliano, Earnest tells a hilarious story about the ridiculous shenanigans of over-the-top characters. When describing the plot of the famous comedy, she quoted fellow Salve actress Laura Jedynasty. “It is a ‘love square with a case of mistaken identity, and it’s British,’” she said. She also said that anyone who loves a good comedy should come and watch the play. “If you want to laugh to the point where you’re going to cry, you should come see the show, because that is going to happen,” she said.
Pantoliano also encouraged students to get involved in the theater program, which offers a range of positions for cast members and crewmembers. “We don’t ever turn people away. You don’t always get cast, but if you don’t get cast, we need you to do something else,” she said. For students who are interested in the theater program, she suggested that they begin with Salve’s Stagefright club, which is a gateway for those who are looking to get more involved in theater.
Reggie Phoenix, the director of The Importance of Being Earnest, is the Theatre Program Coordinator at Salve Regina. He is also an associate professor and the Artistic Director for the Casino Theatre.
Phoenix chose Earnest because of its dynamic characters and cheerful nature. “I thought it would be fun to do something upbeat, light, comedic, and it also corresponds that the actors were perfect for many of the roles in the show,” he said. Last year, the theatre department put on two very serious shows, Ten Virgins and Antigone. The lightheartedness of Earnest will bring balance to their program.
Phoenix explained that the furniture and clothing that the students will be using in the play are all authentic pieces from the late nineteenth to early twentieth century, the time period in which the piece takes place.
When it comes to working with college students, Phoenix said that it’s wonderful. “They’re open, they’re malleable, and they’re really super enthusiastic for the work, so they put their entire hearts into it,” he said.
Overall, Phoenix is excited for the opening of The Importance of Being Earnest. “It’s got fantastic roles for great actors, it’s got fantastic storytelling, and we wanted to share that with the world,” he said.
The next play that Salve’s performing arts department will put on is Richard Kalinoski’s Beast on the Moon. This play was chosen for its focus on Armenian characters, since Newport houses a large community of Armenian immigrants.
The show, which opens in February, will commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Armenian genocide.
