The Importance of Being Earnest

Playwright by Oscar Wilde

Presented by Tuyet Nguyen, Thomas Walcutt, and Samantha Wu

Directing

Thomas Walcutt

Visual

• The strong visual I would like to see is one of age and elegance. These are upper class people in the country side. So You would assume that the décor is expensive, but perhaps older. The estate must be rather old, but well taken care of.

Theme

• The overlaying theme I wish to present is one of dark comedy. The Main Actors should show pure arrogance through how they articulate the lines. The feeling of pride should breath out of their body. Condescending is a great tone of voice when addressing the butler.

Theatre

• I believe the key theatre for this performance would be a Proscenium Stage. The reason for this is because of the elegance and extravagance that the play itself exerts could only be accurately portrayed on stage type that could allow elaborate scenery. A Proscenium Stage will allow the dramatic scene switch between Act I and II, turning a morning room into that of a country-estate garden.

Directional concept

• The key influencing factor in portraying this dark comedy theme, is lack of speed. The overconfidence that the actors are portraying become more relevant when it seems there is not a care in this world. This helps guide the audience to understand key changes throughout the play.

Lighting

Tuyet Nguyen

Intensity• Visibility: Focus on the areas that the actors and actresses will be performing.

Illuminate their faces and surroundings to brighten the atmosphere. Put out of sight anything that is behind the curtains, doors and windows whenever performers enters the stage.

• Mood: audience will wonder what’s happening behind the doors, curtains, book shelves whenever the performers enter and exit that scene.

• Composition: the lighting should be entire turn off whenever a new act’s setting is being placed to keep the flow of story going.

• Revelation of form: will not be used to intensify.

Color• Visibility: performers costumes will be emphasizes of what they’re

wearing, hair color, and make up. We will add a bit of pink and blue to the garden to highlights the flowers.

• Mood: scenes in the garden will change the audience mood to joyful and colorful summer.

• Composition: most colors will appear during the garden scenes to exemplifies how Cecily as character and how colorful of a person she is. For the last scene, the audience will visualize a changes in the setting and the plot of the story.

• Revelation of form: a the flower pot will appeal bigger than its original to create a realistic and sharp views when performers touching it.

Placement on Stage• Visibility: the audience will be able to fully view where the book shelf, stairs, chairs,

etc. will be place on stage.

• Mood: audience will able to understand more of what the performers are referring to. This will create a comfort mood for the audience to watch closely in the gestures of the performers when they take a seat or having conversation with others.

• Composition: the props change throughout the acts. Whenever the lights are off, the audience will know that they are going to see the next scene and it will create an allusion of different time and setting of the play.

• Revelation of form: the flower pot in the Manor House garden will be enhanced and place right next to the bench that Cecily will sit.

Movement

• Movement of the lighting will change throughout the 3 acts. For instance, the color of the lighting will be used only in act 2. The placement on stage will create new atmosphere for the audience to visualize and bring themselves into the play with the performers. The areas where the director want to intensify will be pitch black with a slight dim so the actors will be able to move without accident in the dark.

Lighting Instrument

• Flood light will be use on stage to help open the space and for the audience to be able to see everything bright and clearly. Throughout all of the 3 acts, the director will use broad area to play the scenes.

Costumes

Samantha Wu

The Historical Period and its Effect on the Style of The Importance of Being EarnestThe Importance of Being Earnest displays an elegant Victorian-age style. It is set in city of London and the country-side of Hertfordshire. There is, however, no stark contrast in the opulence between the two cities. The lack of contrast between the fashionable and corrupted city and the innocent and pure country-side was done purposely to produce a parody that points out that Victorian nobility values were to be found everywhere. There were not many stylistic differences between the two settings. No matter if they lived in the city or the country-side, the fanciful clothing were worn by all nobleman of the play. Subtle differences, however, can still be made out with the small characteristic differences portrayed between Gwendolen and Cecily as well as between Algernon and Jack.

Algernon Moncrieff

Algernon is the epitome of a metrosexual. Appearances seem to be of great concern to Algernon and he would sport lavishly colored neckties and buttonhole flowers. He is a member of the high-society and will probably be adorned with clothing expected to be worn by gentlemen. His high level of flamboyancy, luxurious taste in living, and utter confidence will show in his color preference for his accessories.

Jack Worthing

Jack contains many qualities of those of an older brother. He is more serious than his counterpart Algernon. His role as a guardian to Cecily and attraction towards “sensible and intellectual” girls, like Gwendolyn, further supports his mental maturity. He, just like Algernon, is a member of the high-society and will probably be adorned with clothing expected to be worn by gentlemen. The only difference between him and Algernon would be taste in accessories. Jack would typically wear more neutral colored clothing to match his more mature temperament. The softer colored clothing, however, did not take away from the luxuriousness of his apparel. His goal was to match the sophistication of Gwendolen in hopes of one day marrying her.

Gwendolen Fairfax

A lady of high society in the Victorian era. She grew up in the city and carries a significant amount of sophistication. She is extremely knowledgeable and carries herself with an immense amount of dignity while being extremely forceful and opinionated and has the ability to get what she wants. Gwendolen, being a high status polished city girl, would normally choose high fashion articles of clothing revolving around regal colors like purple.

Cecily Cardew.

What makes Algernon attracted towards Cecily is her simplicity. Growing up in the country-side has made her less flamboyant than her female counterpart, Gwendolyn. She is much more innocent and does not posses the amount of knowledge Gwendolen does nor does she have any motivation too. Although Cecily is younger, less fashionable, and less sophisticated than Gwendolen, she still contains the same characteristics of many high status Victorian women. Her attire will still have a significant level of extravagance fit for a high society young lady. Her innocence and pureness would lead her to choose softer colored clothing, like light pink. Her extravagance will, however, be not as bold as that of Gwendolen’s.

Lady Bracknell

Lady Bracknell is the utmost symbol of the dominant Victorian ethic. She is the one passing down and enforcing the morals and values of the snobbish Victorian values. Lady Bracknell is the most powerful and overbearing character throughout the play. Her attire would, no doubt, reflect her characteristics. She chooses extremely lavish and extravagant clothing. She would normally red and gold articles of clothing to distinguish herself as the uttermost top figure.

Miss Prism

Miss Prism is one of the minor characters throughout the play. She does not get to wear the lavish outfits many other of her counterparts get to wear. She is the governess of Cecily and takes her job as educating Cecily extremely seriously. Miss Prism is repressed yet secretly romantically in love with her town’s priest. Her attire would be that of normal governesses of that time. Her outfit would be almost void entirely of color thereby signifying her less lavish style of living compared to the high status characters that she serves.

Dr. Chausable

Dr. Chausable is the male counterpart of Miss Prism. Just like Miss Prism, he is not one of the major characters but still possess significant qualities to the play. He stands for the religious piety which was essential to Victorian society. He would dress in attire made for men of his religious stature. Attention-grabbing articles of clothing will not be found on Dr. Chausable.