THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST
WORLD PREMIERE
ADAPTATION BY KAMILAH BUSH
PORTLAND CENTER STAGE
PORTLAND OR
Directed by Josiah Davis
Scenic Design by Jean Kim
Costume Design by Camilla Dely
Lighting Design by Miranda Hardy
Sound Design by Phil Johnson
Photos by Jingzi Zhao Peter Ksander
Set in a version of 1919 that nods knowingly at today, this Earnest unfolds in a world not unlike D.C. in our current moment—where wealth, identity, and reputation remain a currency of survival. Bush reimagines Wilde’s dandies as queer-coded, class-hopping schemers: Jack is the “femme fastidious one,” Algernon, the “masc party boy.” The result is a joyful farce with teeth—delivering Wilde’s infamous wit while interrogating who gets to shape the rules of decorum, desire, and decency. Come for the farce, stay for the romance!