The Importance of Being Earnest

Posted Aug 19, 2024

A trivial comedy for serious people, The Importance of Being Earnest is an entertaining comedy sparkling with charm, wit, and hilarity. Cucumber sandwiches and petticoats set the environment for this classic British farce on the aristocracy, which has become a standard of the English and American theatres. Jack and Algernon are set on winning the affections of two beautiful maidens and their wild scheming results in mistaken identities, secret engagements, and unexpected entanglements. The audience will delight in this masterpiece more than a century after its publication and premiere.

The Importance of Being Earnest

Fritsche Theatre at Cowan Hall
Individual Tickets $22

All evening performances begin at 7:30pm!
September 26, 7:30pm
September 27, 7:30pm
September 28, 7:30pm
September 29, 2:00pm (matinee)
October 3, 7:30pm
October 4, 7:30pm
October 5, 7:30pm

By Oscar Wilde
Directed by Mark Mineart
Scenic Design by Isaac Ramsey
Costume Design by Mary Yaw McMullen
Lighting Design by Rae Lake
Sound Design by Nicole Hunter
Stage Managed by Hannah Pohlman

Ticket Pricing & Policy

Box Office Hours

The Otterbein Theatre Box Office is open, Tuesday-Friday from 12:00-4:00pm from Sept. 3-Dec. 6 and Jan. 21-Apr.11. We are a student-run box office, so dates of operation will change with the academic calendar. The box office is not open on University holidays or during scheduled breaks.

Contact the Box Office: 614-823-1109 or boxoffice@otterbein.edu

Season Subscription Packages

Season Subscription Packages are $97 and include tickets to “The Importance of Being Earnest,” “Natasha, Pierre, & the Great Comet of 1812,” “The Laramie Project,” and “Footloose.”

Tickets for “The Launch: A Senior Cabaret” are not part of the subscription package and must be purchased separately.

Individual Ticket Prices

  • The Importance of Being Earnest: $22
  • Natasha, Pierre, & the Great Comet of 1812: $30
  • The Launch: A Senior Cabaret: $30 (a fundraiser for the NY Senior Showcase)
  • The Laramie Project: $22
  • The Laramie Project: $22

All sales are final. Exchanges may be made up to 24 hours in advance of the originally scheduled performance.

Performance Times:

All evening performances begin at 7:30 pm.
Sunday matinees are at 2:00 pm.

Tickets for Otterbein Students, Faculty and Staff:

Academic Year Productions:
All Otterbein University full-time students receive FREE tickets to all mainstage theatre and dance productions during the academic year. Otterbein University faculty and staff receive FREE tickets for those within their households to all performances. Tickets can be reserved with a valid Cardinal Card at the Cowan Hall box office, or by scanning the QR code found on production posters hanging throughout campus and completing the form. Tickets requested via the QR code will be emailed by the next business day of box office operation.

Do not use the online ticketing system for complimentary or reduced priced ticketing. Otterbein Students, Faculty, and Staff must reserve tickets in person with a valid Cardinal Card at the Theatre Box Office or via the QR code found on production posters. The Box office does not offer refunds or exchanges for individual ticket sales.

Otterbein Summer Theatre Productions:
Otterbein Students, Faculty, Staff receive FREE tickets to all Otterbein Summer Theatre productions.

Student Rush Tickets:

Discount tickets are offered for all performances one hour prior to curtain (pending availability) for those with a valid student ID. Please contact the box office for pricing.

School Matinee Performances

Educational Matinee Feb 14. A performance for highschool students and their teachers. Wednesday Feb 14 at 10am Fritsche Theatre at Cowan Hall. Click for more information.

Costume Rentals & Donations

Interested in Donating Clothing or Renting Costumes?

 After reading the following information, all inquiries about costume rentals/donations should be directed to the Costume Shop Supervisor at (614) 823 – 1203.

Donations:

We are happy to accept unique vintage items that fit the following criteria:

  • Pre 1980’s fashions including furs, gowns, suits, and other stage-worthy items
  • Fabrics/clothing are in good condition without dry-rot, mildew, moth damage, etc
  • The clothing must be able to withstand excessive movement, such as running and dancing, without being damaged
  • Adult-sized items. Women’s wear must have a minimum waist measurement of 26”

We do NOT accept the following:

  • Children’s clothing
  • Items that are too fragile/damaged to be worn by an active dancer/actor.
  • Clothing from 1980’s to Current, unless the item is in very good condition and is unique.
  • Domestic textiles such as linens, doilies, etc.
  • Retail Halloween costumes or other disposable-quality items

Donations will become the property of the Otterbein Costume Shop and will be used in whatever manner the designers see fit, which may include altering the garment beyond recognition, destruction, disposal, or resale.  We have a limited storage area and can only accept/keep items we are confident we can use.

If you desire a Gift In-Kind Form, please tell the Costume Shop Supervisor. You will need to send photos of the items and declare their value. We will determine if the valuation is appropriate and decide which items we will accept.  We will then submit the donation information to Otterbein University administration.  After the donation is approved and you have delivered the items, you’ll receive a donation letter for tax purposes from the University. This process may take a few weeks.

To schedule a donation drop-off or to begin the Gift in Kind process, contact the Costume Shop Supervisor.

Costume Rentals:

The Otterbein Theatre & Dance costume shop provides rentals to theatrical productions for a fee. Please be aware of the following policies:

  • We do not rent costumes to individuals or private events, we rent ONLY to theatrical productions.
  • We do not loan shoes, hats, or jewelry.
  • We generally do not have the time to pull for rentals, but we allow designers/costume coordinators to come and pull their own rentals.
  • We will pull/ship costumes of a very specific nature or on a whole-show basis. Such as the matching dresses for How to Succeed or Guys & Dolls.

To schedule a donation drop-off or rental, please contact Costume Shop Supervisor at (614) 823-1203.

Theatre Seating Charts

The Fritsche Theatre At Cowan Hall

30 South Grove Street
Westerville, OH 43081

Campus Center Theatre

100 W. Home Street
Westerville, OH 43081