The Importance of Being Earnest, A Trivial Comedy for Serious People is a play by Oscar Wilde. First performed on 14 February 1895 at the St James's Theatre in London, it is a farcical comedy in which the protagonists maintain fictitious personæ to escape burdensome social obligations. Working within the social conventions of late Victorian London, the play's major themes are the triviality with which it treats institutions as serious as marriage, and the resulting satire of Victorian ways. Some contemporary reviews praised the play's humour and the culmination of Wilde's artistic career, while others were cautious about its lack of social messages. Its high farce and witty dialogue have helped make The Importance of Being Earnest Wilde's most enduringly popular play. In 2002 the play was adapted into a British-American romantic comedy-drama film of the same name directed by Oliver Parker Starring Rupert Everett, Colin Firth, Frances O'Connor, Reese Witherspoon, and Judi Dench. The original music score for the film was composed by Charlie Mole. The film grossed $8.4 million in North America.
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