Throughout the years of Heritage High School’s theatre program, students have witnessed wonderful works of art. Yes, the Drama Club has put on several shows for the enjoyment of all, however, this year Heritage was introduced to the Thespian Troupe, and this group of entertainers can’t wait to get on the stage with the play The Importance of Being Earnest.

The director of this play, senior Connor Rentz, is a relatively new student at Heritage. “When you’re directing, you’re the creative direction of the show . . . as a director, most of the creative responsibilities are mine,” shared Connor. He is more than excited and does indeed hope that the hard work of the Thespian Troupe will shine to its fullest potential. He also said, “I am excited in bringing this new classical play to Heritage.” Connor hopes that this year will only be the beginning of a long and successful life of Heritage’s Thespian Troupe. He plans to do whatever he can to support the future projects of the troupe.

The Importance of Being Earnest features a mixture of British comedy and mischievous action. The main protagonist, Jack Worthing, uses an alias given the name of Earnest. The rest of the villagers of Hertfordshire believe Earnest to be an odd and disreputable brother of Jack’s. Jack uses this phantom to live a life where he only seeks pleasure and selfish desires. Meanwhile, Algernon Moncrieff, a secondary protagonist and Jack’s friend, becomes suspicious of Jack and begins to unravel the mystery. Alex Smith will be playing the role of Jack Worthing and Josh Miles will play the role of Algernon Moncrieff.

Of course, there are many wonderful supporting characters as well. Rachel Rentz (sister of Conner Rentz) will play the role of Cecily Cardew, a granddaughter of an old gentleman who adopted Jack. Brooke Jones will play the role of Lady Bracknell, a conniving snobbish aunt of Algernon. Cristian Caridad will play the role of Lane, a male servant of Algernon who is aware of Algernon’s suspicions. Hannah Carroll will play the role of Merriman, a butler at Jack’s estate in the country. Novella Long will play the role of Gwendolen Fairfax, Algernon’s cousin and potential love interest of Jack whom she knows only as “Earnest.” Gavin Russell will play the role of Miss Prism, Cecily’s governess. Finally, both Christian Caridad and Spencer Weiser will play the role of Rev. Chasuble, a reverend who was approached by both Algernon and Jack to be christened with the name “Earnest.”

The first performance will be at the historic Mars Theater in Lafayette, Georgia, on Friday, November 7, 2014, at 7:00 p.m. The second performance will be at 2:00 p.m. the next day, Saturday, November 8. The Mars Theater is located at 117 N. Chattanooga Street in Lafayette. Admission will be free, but donations will be highly appreciated. If this play turns out well enough, the HHS Thespian Troupe could end up traveling to the Georgia Thespian Convention at Columbus in February to preform the play in front of a couple of thousand people. Donations will help them cover the costs of traveling. All of that, of course, is dependent on the opinion of the Georgia Thespian Convention representative who screens their show.

This classic play is something unlike anything Heritage has seen before. It introduces a variety of problems and solutions. It is also the first student-directed play at HHS. This group of young actors has been working hard, and with only the tiny sneak peak I had at one of their rehearsals, I can already tell that this is going to be a show full of humor and exquisite talent.