Scotts Valley High School Drama Revives Wilde’s Classic The Importance of Being Earnest With a Modern Twist
Scotts Valley High School’s drama department is bringing Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest to the stage, giving the 1890s comedy a lively, modern-minded revival led by a passionate cast and a dedicated student production team. The show runs at the SVHS Student Union from Dec. 4–13, with full performance dates and ticketing available through CUR8 Tickets.
The production is co-directed by SVHS alumni Cooper Herenden and Ian Holombo, both from the Class of 2021, who describe Wilde’s script as surprisingly quick, fresh and full of humor that resonates today. Herenden says the comedy feels “shockingly modern,” while Holombo highlights the ridiculous charm of two friends inventing fake identities to escape awkward situations.
SVHS typically stages contemporary works, so taking on a Victorian-era classic gives students a new challenge. Drama teacher Kendra Kannegaard invited the alumni directors to take the lead, and they selected Wilde’s play because of its long-standing reputation as one of the most-produced comedies in theater history.
Student interest was so high that the directors created two full casts—Bread Cast and Butter Cast—ensuring more performers could participate. Each cast performs on alternating nights, with Bread Cast appearing on Dec. 5, 11 and 13, and Butter Cast performing on Dec. 4, 6 and 12, plus an Understudy Night on Dec. 11.
Although the story centers on Jack, Algernon, Gwendolen, Cecily and the formidable Lady Bracknell, the SVHS production includes an expanded ensemble of footmen, household staff and scenic helpers to keep the show’s fast pace intact. These additional performers help maintain the energetic flow Wilde intended when the play first premiered.
Behind the scenes, junior Ryan Goode serves as both student producer and house manager, coordinating volunteers, managing finances and ensuring audiences are guided to the right seats. He says the experience has shown him how much unseen work goes into creating a polished theater production.
Junior Ethan Soriano, the stage manager, handles the organized chaos backstage and has been involved in SVHS drama since middle school. He describes rehearsals as consistently funny and says the cast laughs even when performing for only the three directors in the room.
Wilde’s comedy pokes fun at class expectations, identity, romance and the tendency to exaggerate life’s minor problems, themes the directors believe remain relatable today. Holombo notes that the play reminds audiences not to take themselves too seriously, while Herenden points out that it humanizes the 1890s, showing that people back then joked, argued and fell in love just as they do now.
Both directors see value in keeping classic literature alive, especially for teens who live in a technology-shaped world. Holombo says watching students understand and perform Wilde’s language gives him hope for the future of literature-based arts.
Herenden and Holombo’s close connection to the program made them natural choices to lead the production. Herenden now works as the department’s technical director, rebuilding the tech program after Covid-19, while Holombo recently completed degrees in creative writing and film studies and stepped in as a long-term substitute for drama and English.
Students involved in the production are using the experience to prepare for competitive college programs, with some auditioning for Juilliard and NYU Tisch School of the Arts. Herenden jokes that audience members may get to see “the next Meryl Streep before she’s famous.”
Goode sums it up simply: the show is a chance to support local students who are stepping out of their comfort zones, wearing silly pants and sharing what they love. For performance details and school information, readers can explore the official Scotts Valley High School website.
