This past weekend, Ascension put on the play The Importance of Being Earnest. This play is about John ‘Jack’ Worthing, played by senior Parker Courville, and Algernon Moncrieff, played by senior Ben Tyrrell, and their alter ego “Ernest” which they use to escape their lives. They try to win hearts of two women, Gwendolen, played by junior Emily Roberts, and Cecily, played by junior Virginia Foshee, and they all get tangled up in lies and deception. This play took place in the black box, and it was incredible!

I talked to junior Emily Roberts, who played the very strong-minded Gwendolen Fairfax. This is a very popular play, so I asked if she heard about it before auditioning and she answered, “I had never heard of this show before they announced it. Once they did I watched the movie and really liked it!” She also told me how much she loved her character saying, “She was super sassy and fun to play!” She was incredible and played the part so perfectly. She also told me that the costumes were awesome, and she loved how it was set in the 20s since the dresses were beautiful. She continued saying, “I got to wear scarves, pretty jewelry, and headpieces too.” The costumes were outstanding!

Unlike Emily, senior Ben Tyrrell knew about the play since he read it in AP English his junior year. He said, “I enjoyed being in the play and liked my costumes, especially since my mom got it for me.” I got the opportunity to watched Parker and Ben rehearse and even when they messed up, they kept talking in their British accents and kept going. Ben said, “Rehearsals were a lot of fun, and the cast was great.” It was very obvious how hard they worked, and it paid off.

They both said it was an incredible show, and they are both happy to have been a part of it. Emily said, “I learned so much and got close to so many amazing people!” They said the audiences were amazing. Ben mentioned how receptive the audience was. They loved the play and all the jokes. Many people in the cast admitted they didn’t realize how funny it was until they heard the audience laughing. The cast also thanks Mr. McClymont for directing such a fun and different play.