(Photo by Makenzie Whittle)
We are proud to announce our fall touring production of Oscar Wilde’s beloved comedy The Importance of Being Earnest, directed by Antony Sparrow. The production will tour Central Oregon from September 17 through October 11, 2026, with performances at select venues and dates throughout the region.
First performed in 1895, Wilde’s razor-sharp comedy has delighted audiences for generations with its elaborate deceptions, mistaken identities, romantic complications, and deliciously absurd observations about society. For ETC’s touring production, Sparrow brings Wilde’s world into the 1980s – a decade of excess, glamour, celebrity, and, perhaps most notably, tabloid scandal. The production draws particular inspiration from the intense media scrutiny surrounding the British royal family during the 1980s. As royal relationships played out under an almost relentless tabloid microscope, private lives became public entertainment, and reputations could be shaped – or destroyed – by the latest headline. It is a fitting lens through which to view Wilde’s world, where appearances are everything, social standing is paramount, and the truth is often less important than the story people choose to believe.
With its wit, wordplay, romance, and outrageous social satire, The Importance of Being Earnest remains remarkably relevant more than 130 years after its premiere, offering Central Oregon audiences a fresh, stylish, and thoroughly entertaining take on Wilde’s classic.
Tour Dates & Locations
Open Space Event Studios – 220 NE Lafayette Ave., Bend, OR 97701
Friday, September 18 – 7pm | Saturday, September 19- 2pm & 7pm
Bowman Museum – 246 N Main St., Prineville, OR 97754
Sunday, September 20 – 2pm *Donation only performance
Sunriver Christian Fellowship – 18139 Cottonwood Rd., Sunriver, OR 97707
Friday, September 25 – 7pm
Jefferson County Community & Senior Center – 860 SW Madison St., Madras, OR 97741
Saturday, September 26 – 2pm
La Pine Activity Center – 16450 Victory Way, La Pine, OR 97739
Sunday, September 27 – 2pm
Sisters Firehouse Community Hall – 301 S Elm St., Sisters, OR 97759
Saturday, October 3 – 2pm & 7pm
High Desert Music Hall – 818 SW Forest Ave.., Redmond, OR 97756
Sunday, October 4 – 2pm & 7pm
Unity Community Central Oregon – 63645 Scenic Dr, Bend, OR 97703
Saturday, October 10 – 2pm & 7pm