←Recommendations of THE IMPORTANCE

This is how you write a play for high school-aged actors. Somehow, this large ensemble play is filled with specific, well-developed characters on their own tiny journies, each the protagonist in their own story. I cared about EVERY CHARACTER! Not only are their voices easy to distinguish and track, but each one gets a phenomenal stand-out monologue moment that will give young actors the opportunity to really, truly perform. The drama is authentic, the dialogue is real and consistently funny, and the playwright never condescends or telegraphs anything. I wish I was a teenager performing in this play. Fantastic!

This is one of my favorite plays I have read in an incredibly long time. Everyone (educator or not) needs to read this script and help high schoolers find solace in Accuardi's words.

Thoroughly enjoyed reading this! So smart, so funny ... though truly chilling here and there, like real life. Absolutely pitch-perfect for a high-school cast. Brilliantly constructed satire with a big heart and a compelling, uplifting message. Very deserving of wide production. Brava!

I absolutely adore this piece! It's a play that would definitely ring true for any drama kid, but I think it would also resonate with a wide range of people with its universal themes of belonging, outsidership, coming of age, and the complex constellation of relationships that come with adolescence. Accuardi treats all of these characters with a depth and sensitivity rarely afforded to such a large ensemble of teens and, as a large cast play, this would be a stellar choice for a high school theater program. The dialogue is funny, poignant, and pitch-perfect.

A great ensemble piece for young actors that really does give everyone a chance to be seen and heard from in a meaningful way. "The Importance" has a lot of characters, but I really was able to keep track of all of them. Accuardi has done a wonderful job of making every single one character a distinct, unique, and interesting person.

If you have ever had anything to do with high school theatre, this play is a must-read, must-see! Sara Jean Accuardi is pitch-perfect at capturing the before, during, and opening night antics of a high school production of "The Importance of Being Ernest." The dialogue is spot-on and you definitely feel like a fly on the wall in the green room. The "interruptions" allow us to hear the true thoughts going through the minds of these teens, and is a wonderful device for allowing us to get to know these characters. Every high school should produce this play! Wonderful work!

A terrific production of theatre with an absolutely beautiful realization of what it means to pass on the heartbeat. Love!