Why PFLAG is proud to sponsor CTA’s ‘The Importance of Being Earnest’

By Ellary M., PFLAG WCB Board Member

I’m incredibly excited about PFLAG’s sponsorship of the upcoming Chequamegon Theater Association (CTA) production of The Importance of Being Earnest for many reasons. Since I moved to the Chequamegon Bay area about two years ago, the CTA has become a second home for me, providing a welcoming place to get to know others and share in the magic of making art collectively. While this is true of every play I have been in at the CTA, this production of Earnest also promises what I think is an inventive take on the play, one that promises to display the process by which we transform ourselves for the theater and in real life.

For those familiar with Oscar Wilde, it is probably unsurprising to you that this is a play embedded with queer themes. In this play, lovers young and old alike struggle with being truthful to one another, chafing against the roles society has laid out for them. What’s more, the play’s director has approached the casting of this production with a more fluid portrayal in mind, focusing more on the chemistry of the actors rather than their age or gender. I like to think that Wilde would approve of this bending of the rules with regards to the roles a person is ‘allowed’ to play. I hope it inspires the audience to think about the roles they are allowed to play in their own lives.

The cast of The Importance of Being Earnest

The thing I love the most about theater is the opportunity to see myself in a different light. We may be playing different roles, but underneath we are still ourselves, experiencing new perspectives through the power of our imagination. In the words of our director, Lawrence Lee, there is a reason they call it a ‘play.’ However, I think these creative experiences provide a valuable chance for us to see ourselves differently, outside of the boxes that society puts us in.

I hope you will take the opportunity to come and be playful with us, to partake in the hilarity of Wilde’s renowned wit and the absurdity of the rigid paths that have been laid out for us. I hope you will laugh at all of it. It’s all made up, and the only thing that matters is how earnest we are, with those we love and with ourselves.