Student actors shine in “The Importance of Being Earnest”

The year is 1895. The Conservative Party has just won late-Victorian England, and Ernest Worthing returns to the countryside to propose to his girlfriend. Little does the town know he might not be so earnest. 

The Mustard and Cheese Drama Society’s production of “The Importance of Being Earnest” brought together students from across colleges and showcased their skills in a theatrical setting. 

“The Importance of Being Earnest” is a satirical play that mocks the social norms of Victorian England. 

The show opened Friday night and runs through Feb. 28. 

The club blended the play’s themes with the art of Andy Warhol, who used his work to comment on celebrity and identity. The set was coated in metallic tones with pop art decorating the walls to resemble Warhol’s factory. A live camera feed followed the characters during each scene. 

Mike Pinette, ‘26, an accounting major, took an acting class last semester and received extra credit for auditioning for the show.

What began as “an easy four-credit A” for Pinette became his next long-term project as he brought his love for accents into the audition room and landed the lead role of Jack Worthing, or the titular character, Ernest. 

“(It’s) my senior spring and I didn’t want to get complacent,” he said. “I wanted to do something more.” 

As a teaching assistant for Accounting 152 and 307 with Professor Robert Duquette, Pinette said his experience in theater improved his confidence in public speaking, as well as his projection and posture. 

Audrey Monaco, ‘28, a psychology major and theater minor, said she became interested in auditioning when she learned about director Jessica Dean’s avant-garde vision. 

Monaco said psychology helps her acting because she can apply observed behaviors to the characters she portrays. 

She said she originally auditioned for Cecily, an unspoiled, naive 18-year-old girl, but was cast instead as Lady Racknell, a self-centered beauty queen who wears prosthetic breasts and drag makeup in the production. 

“She’s pretty bossy and everything is in her best interest,” Monaco said. “I would like to think that (Lady Racknell) wouldn’t describe me.”

Monaco said she was initially intimidated by the role because it’s written in older English and requires a British accent, but said she developed confidence through rehearsal. She also worked with a dialogue coach to refine her pronunciation.

The show’s stage manager, Ashton Dodge, ‘27, said during auditions, which began in December, he looked for performers who connected with the material and could perform an English accent. 

Rehearsals began on the first day of the second semester, and the actors were expected to be fully off book.

Dodge said as a mechanical engineering major, much of his coursework involves collaborative projects, and stage manager similarly requires coordinating a large group toward a shared goal. 

“There’s a reason there’s so many (mechanical engineering) people in theater, and it’s not because we need a zest for life,” Dodge said.

During performances, he calls cues from the booth to the operator for lighting and sound changes. He said when problems occur, he and the director address them. 

Dodge also said he’s been interested in theater from a young age. His parents took him to performances during school breaks, and he once worked behind the scenes at a circus. Last year, Dodge acted in “Wolf Play” and served as assistant stage manager in “The Bookstore.” 

All seven performances sold out before opening night. 

“I’ve never actually done anything this creative before in my life,” Pinette said. “You know, if you’re creative in taxes, you go to jail.”