Featured Image: From left to right: Emma Doster as Cecily Cardew, Mark Mathis as Algernon Moncrieff, Maggie Moffett as Miss Prism, Duncan Hollis as John ‘Jack’ Worthing, Morgan Akira as Lady Bracknell, Brianna McCrudden as Gwendolyn Fairfax and Arnoldo Aleman as Reverend Canon Chasuble perform on stage in ‘The Importance of Being Earnest’ on Oct. 2, 2025, at the Harriet Fulton Theatre. (Photo Credit / Paul Pharris)

The University of Tennessee at Martin’s Vanguard Theatre showcased an evening of comedic relief and mistaken identity with their Fall 2025 production of The Importance of Being Earnest, by Oscar Wilde. The show ran from Oct. 2-5th and it marked the first production to be free for all UTM students, although it was $15 for adults.

The show consisted of two acts with a brief 10-minute intermission. Among the stellar cast of characters were senior theatre major, Duncan Hollis as John ‘Jack’ Worthing and junior graphic design major, Maggie Moffett as Miss Prism.

The remaining roles were filled by other talented UTM students, with Mark Mathis as Algernon Moncrieff, Morgan Akira as Lady Bracknell, Brianna McCrudden as Gwendolyn Fairfax, Emma Doster as Cecily Cardew, Arnoldo Aleman as Reverend Canon Chasuble, Moxxi Pollich as Lane and Kay Hilt as Merriman. (With Melanie Hollis designing the costumes and Paul Pharris as the Scenic/Lighting Designer.)

Led under the direction of Melanie Hollis, an instructor for the Department of Visual Arts and interim director of Vanguard Theatre, the production stuck to the main timeframe of the original play by Wilde. Hollis felt it was best to stay true to what she felt he intended.

“The Importance of Being Earnest is a foundational play in theatre history. It has a unique style and manner of presentation that I feel the students had not encountered before. It is a comedy of manners that still speaks to our society’s norms and values today,” said Hollis.

The production was set in England during the late 19th century, where society’s obsession with appearances is quite evident, a phenomenon that remains unchanged in today’s modern era.

It follows the lives of two young men, best friends John ‘Jack’ Worthing (Duncan Hollis) and Algernon Moncrieff (Mark Mathis), as they devise a scheme to invent new identities that allows them to escape from the constraints of Victorian’s society. Jack creates a brother named “Ernest” while Algernon has an imaginary friend with a disability named “Bunbury”; which is derived from the term ‘bunburyist’, someone who invents a fictional identity to get out of social situations.

In Act 1, the audience is introduced to an elegant set design that represented Algernon’s flat in Half-Moon Street on the West End of London. Algernon’s maid Lane (Moxxi Pollich) is seen laying out afternoon tea on a tray. Algernon is presented on stage moments later and the two exchanged conversation on his questionable piano skills and the nature of marriage. Lane is eventually dismissed by Algernon but later returns with a unexpected visitor.

Duncan Hollis graces the stage as Jack who stops by unexpectedly to see his friend and announces that he wants to propose to Gwendolyn Fairfax (Brianna McCrudden), the cousin of Algernon. Hollis sports an polished British accent in this role which he said was a challenge for him to nail.

“The accent took me awhile to learn. Finding the comedy in Jack as well because I am person who If I’m doing something dramatic, I think I go towards anger first. That’s an easier emotion for me to access. Finding the happy and comedic moments was a little bit of a challenge but I eventually found them,” he said.

Hollis was inspired to play the charming character due to reading some excerpts of the play in an English class.

“The story is really interesting along with the comedy and satirical nature. I mean, I’ll audition for anything but I’ve never done anything like it. It’s a very different genre and style that what I’ve done before so I was really excited to explore that,” Hollis said.

After finding an inscription inside Jack’s cigarette case, addressed to “Uncle Jack”, Algernon confronts Jack about it because he only ever known him as Ernest. The cigarette case was gifted to Jack by his ward (or niece), Cecily Cardew (Emma Doster) whom he has guardianship over. He confesses the truth to Algernon and wants to erase any trace of “Ernest” because first, Cecily has taken an interest in this so-called fictional ‘brother’ of his. Secondly, he created this false identity to be able to escape to London, avoiding the responsibilities of being a guardian in his country life. The mentioning of the young and naive, Cecily, catches Algernon’s attention with him wanting to pursue a chance with her eventually.

Nevertheless, Algernon still didn’t buy this newfound revelation and calls Jack a ‘bunburyist’ even though he has a secret of his own. He reveals to Jack that he invented a invalid friend named “Bunbury” which he pretends to visit out of the country when he doesn’t want to fulfill any of his obligations. The two friends each have a somewhat good enough reason to keep the charades going, it could backfire in the end as Cecily’s feelings for Ernest continues to develop so Jack suggests they kill off their false identities.

As they ponder and argue over this, Lane returns and announces the arrivals of Lady Bracknell (Morgan Akira) and Gwendolyn. Lady Bracknell is introduced as a furious and stern woman who commands to have a cucumber sandwich that Algernon has promised her. There isn’t any no longer on the tray because he has ate them all without realization. He puts the blame on Lane who tells him she didn’t have time to run to the market to fetch cucumber.

Lady Bracknell doesn’t seem phased and changes the topic of conversation to talk about the nice married woman she planned on having Algernon take out to dinner. Algernon excuses the notion with the news of Bunbury’s illness and decides to take Lady Bracknell out of the room so Jack could propose to Gwendolyn. Mind you, Lady Bracknell is Gwendolyn’s mother and she doesn’t think no man is worthy of her daughter’s affection.

As Jack starts to declare his love for Gwendolyn, he is stopped by her as she lets him know that she shares the same feelings but is fascinated by the name “Ernest”. She will not marry a man that isn’t named that because it is a name that inspires confidence. Lady Bracknell returns and Gwendolyn announces her engagement to Jack. To determine Jack’s eligibility as her potential son-in-law, Lady Bracknell interviews him. Everything seems to be going well until she asks him for information on his family’s background.

Jack explains that he doesn’t have a clue on who his parents are and that he was found by the man who adopted him, Mr. Cardew, in a handbag at Victoria Station. Lady Bracknell is disgusted by this discovery, forbids him from marrying Gwendolyn and storms out of the house angrily.