Preview : ‘The Importance of Being Earnest’ Theater returns to campus with an Oscar Wilde classic

AJ WERNER Reporter

Classes are back, sports are back, and now theatre is back too.

“It’s an easy play to love,” Vaaz said. “It’s funny and we wanted a feel-good play that brought people back and had us, you know, laughing together.”

For the first time since the pandemic began, the LAPC Theatre will have live performances.

The Theater Department will be coming back with an adaptation of Oscar Wilde’s, “The Importance of Being Earnest.”

Play Director Shaheen Vaaz said this play is a combination of multiple elements.

“It’s about a guy who calls himself Earnest when that’s not his real name,” Vaaz explained. “Mistaken identities, secret identities, secret lives, alliances with people you don’t know, all that good stuff.”

While the Theater Department has a requirement for one classical work, this was not the only reason this particular play was chosen.

Shaheen Vaaz explains the significance of this being the first play to be performed coming out of the pandemic.

Actor Kayvan Shai plays the character, Jack. “He’s a very conflicted character who is kind of searching for who he really is and what he’s doing,” Shai said. “He’s in love with Gwendolyn and that’s why he comes over in the first place.”

Shai believes the audience can learn a valuable lesson by coming to watch this play.

Actress Rachel Logan plays the role of Gwendolyn, who is also Jack’s love interest.

“She is very high society,” Logan said. “Very particular and specific about what she wants and what she does want, she will get.”

Although this play is more of a comedy, that doesn’t mean there aren’t tough scenes for this cast.

Rachel Logan describes the toughest scene she is a part of in this play.

“I think the hardest scene would have to be my garden scene with Cicely,” Logan said. “It’s a very long scene, it’s also a long act. I have a huge chunk of lines, it’s just Gwendolyn talks so much.”

There are many things the audience will be able to take away from this live performance.

However, both Shai and Logan hope the audience takes away some things more than others.

Shai believes the audience will be able to learn a valuable lesson from the story of this light-hearted play.

“They also will get, if they pay a little more attention, the depth of what is really being said about how one person can go their whole life not knowing who they really are.”

While Logan would like audiences to recognize the importance of theatre, she also hopes this play can help others be more comfortable with themselves.

“I hope they appreciate the art, that they will understand theater matters and support,”