The Importance of Being Earnest, A Trivial Comedy for Serious People, is a play by Oscar Wilde. First performed on 14 February 1895 at St. James’s Theatre in London, it is a farcical comedy in which the protagonists maintain fictitious personae in order to escape burdensome social obligations. The play’s major themes are the triviality with which it treats institutions as serious as marriage, and the resulting satire of Victorian ways. Contemporary reviews all praised the play’s humor, though some were cautious about its explicit lack of social messages, while others foresaw the modern consensus that it was the culmination of Wilde’s artistic career so far. Its high farce and witty dialogue have helped make The Importance of Being Earnest Wilde’s most enduringly popular play.
Frederic, who has spent his formative years as a junior pirate, plans to mark his 21st birthday by breaking free from the Pirate King and beginning his courtship of Mabel. But because he was born on Feb. 29, a date that only arrives every fourth year, Frederic isn’t technically 21; and the Pirate King is still his master. Unless something gives, Frederic will soon be on a collision course with the Pirate King’s new nemesis: Mabel’s father
