In the first weekend of November, the Ashland University Department of Theater performed “The Importance of Being Earnest.”  

The production was directed by Associate Professor of Theatre, Dr. Teresa Durbin-Ames.  

After searching all spring and summer, she finally settled on “The Importance of Being Earnest,” a comedic play written in 1895 by Oscar Wilde.  

Durbin-Ames also has a special connection to this play; during her first year of college, she was also a part of a production of “The Importance of Being Earnest.” 

The cast began preparing for the show in the beginning of September, and all of their hard work showed during their performance.  

“We’re working more with students who are not theater majors, so we’re working with a more diverse body of students, and I wanted to in some ways, take more time so it was a more relaxing time,” said Durbin-Ames, explaining her practice methods. 

The students performed on Oct. 31, Nov. 1, Nov. 2, and Nov. 3, which included four shows in total. “It was delightful,” said Durbin-Ames, “they mastered the language.” 

“They had a lot of fun, and the audiences enjoyed it,” she said. 

Moving forward, the AU Department of Theater will be teaming up with the Ashland Kroc Youth Theater in March of 2025. The two groups will be presenting “The Sound of Music.” 

“This is going to be a whole new kind of adventure, but I think it will be good for the community, and I think it will be good for our students to be able to a large, recognizable show,” said Durbin-Ames.