FORT WORTH, Texas — Jack Worthing invents a brother to escape his duties in the countryside. Then his friend Algernon shows up pretending to be that very brother.
In Oscar Wilde’s classic comedy of manners, Jack goes by Ernest in London, where he courts Gwendolen Fairfax. When Algernon takes the same name to visit Jack’s country home, he falls for Jack’s ward, Cecily Cardew. The men find their stories harder to keep straight when Gwendolen and Cecily compare notes.
Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest runs Nov. 11-13 at 7:30 p.m., with a 1:30 p.m. matinee Nov. 13. Performances are at the C.A. Roberson Theatre at Tarrant County College Southeast, 2100 Southeast Parkway, Arlington.
Arturo Garcia, the play’s director, sees echoes of Victorian concerns about identity and status in what people post on social media today.
“Though the original work was produced over 130 years ago, The Importance of Being Earnest continues to feature relevant modern issues such as identity, decorum, status and love,” he said.
The cast includes Michael Marrufo, Jakob Acevedo, Liam Alejandre, Symphony Low, Natalynn Spann, Bra’Nya Braziel, Monica Yarbrough and Alejandro Alvarado.
General admission is $5, free for TCC students, faculty and staff. Donations to the scholarship fund are welcome.
Tarrant County College serves nearly 100,000 students each year, offering accessible, affordable pathways to in-demand careers and university transfer. Across multiple campuses and TCC Connect — a fully online learning option — the College partners with more than 1,200 employers to help build the workforce that drives North Texas forward. Bold Steps. Better Futures.