The Importance of Being Earnest, A Trivial Comedy for Serious People is a play by Oscar Wilde.<br /><br />First performed on 14 February 1895 at St. James&#39;s Theatre in London, it is a farcical comedy in which the protagonists maintain fictitious personae in order to escape burdensome social obligations. Contemporary reviews all praised the play&#39;s humour, though some were cautious about its explicit lack of social messages, while others foresaw the modern consensus that it was the culmination of Wilde&#39;s artistic career so far. Its high farce and witty dialogue have helped make The Importance of Being Earnest Wilde&#39;s most enduringly popular play.<br /><br />Oscar Wilde (1854&ndash;1900) was an Irish writer and poet. Today he is remembered for his epigrams and plays, and the circumstances of his imprisonment which was followed by his early death.