Oscar Wilde classic ‘The Importance of Being Earnest’ coming to Shelton and Oxford

The Valley Shakespeare Festival will be presenting Oscar Wilde”™s beloved farce “The Importance of Being Earnest” from July 13-16 at Veteran”™s Memorial Park in Shelton and July 20-23 at Quarry Walk in Oxford.

The classic comedy of manners happily eviscerates the concepts of marriage, conscience and double lives with Wilde”™s rapier-sharp wit and sense of the absurd. Valley Shakespeare Festival Director Tom Simonetti will be on stage to play the plum role of the larger-than-life Lady Bracknell ”“ an outrageous character that has often been played by male actors including Geoffrey Rush, Stephen Fry, Brian Bedford and David Suchet.

“It”™s not easy,” said Simonetti, noting that directing and acting “is a balancing act. You have to make sure you”™re with the actors as a director and as a fellow actor. There are times when it gets confusing.”

Tickets for the shows are free with a suggested $10 donation. More information on show times is available at the Valley Shakespeare Festival website.