About the Play This play takes place in the summer

months of the late 1890’s of London, England and Hertfordshire. In the time of the Victorian Era.

Much of the play will take on the style of realism, much like naturalism where the actors will be allowed to physically interact with the props, and set design.

The stage used to perform the play will be a Proscenium Theater much like the one we have on campus , at the Cullen Performance Hall.

Act I

The scene opens in a room that is well lavish and creatively well-found. There is a piano playing in the room attached

Lane is arranging afternoon tea and Algernon is entering the room.

In Act I there set design is staged during the morning, with wooden panels on the floor.

Lighting The lights in the opening scene would

reflect the normality of Algernon’s home. The lights would make the home feel normal and give the audience a feeling of the average home. There could also be a small tint of yellow in the lighting to help represent the “old times” that this production is based in. The yellow would make the scene seem older.

A bright light will be kept on Jack, as well as Algernon. They are the ones speaking mostly in this scene, so the brightest of lights will be held on them to attract the attention of the audience to them.

Part 2 The second scene takes place in the same

setting. The second part of Act 1 continued to be played inside of the home of Algernon.

In this scene I would keep a major light on all of the characters that may appear in the main room. However, when Jack is alone with Gwendolyn, the lights would be lowered and there would be individual lights on both Gwendolyn and Jack to make it seem more personal. As other characters entered the stage, the lights would be brought back to normal.

Act II Act II is staged outside in July.

There is a garden at the Manor house. The garden is filled with roses. The is a table and chairs in the garden under a tree.

Lights This scene is mostly played outside

in the garden of Jack’s country estate. With that in mind, the lights need to be brighter than usual, to represent the sun. With brighter lights, the audience understands better that the scene is played outside. Also, brighter lights give a better feeling of happiness, that may be found outside.

With many characters shown in this scene, a greater light will be shown at all times, not singling any actor out. I would want there to be a greater “sun” giving light to all of the characters, completely.

Part 2

As Algernon appears in the doorway, Jack becomes furious. With that, the light would have more of a sudden brighter look to represent the sudden mood change. After his spill, the light would return to normal.

As Algernon begins his soliloquy about his love for Cecily, there would be a single light on Algernon with the rest of the lights being dark, to represent a more personal, and singular look at Algernon. Also, there would be a slight red tint to change the mood slightly as if to hint at love.

Act III

Act III opens during the morning in the Manor house. Act III is staged at the Manor house and the surrounding areas of the Manor house.

Gwendolen and Cecily are looking outside the room window out to the garden.

Illumination In this part, the setting mostly takes

place outside once again, in the garden. Like before, a brighter light will loom upon them at all times to represent the sun. As the characters enter and exist the stage, the lights will remain the same, bright and consistent.

Part 2

The setting of the piece once again takes place within the walls of a house. However, with the climactic peak, there would be drastic changes in the lighting during this time.

The lights would begin with single lights on Lady Bracknell, and Miss Prism. As Jack joins the discussion, the lights would be greater, covering the whole stage. When Jack returns with the handbag that he has had for so many years, the lights would dim and only shine bright on Miss Prism and the handbag.

As Miss Prism identifies the bag as the one she had left 28 years ago, the lights would slowly brighten back to the full stage. After finding out the truth of his own ancestry and his real father, Earnest John, Jack then begins his final speech with a sincere tone. During this time, there would be a single light on Jack, and the stage would be dim.

As Jack approaches the end of the speech, there might be a hint of blue tint in the light to give the audience a bit more feeling of sympathy and understanding towards “Earnest’s” new realization. As the play closes on Jack’s final words, the light will dim slowly and the stage will be left in darkness until the curtains fall.

Major Characters

Jack Worthing as David Furr

Algernon Moncrieff as Santino Fontana

Gwendolyn Fairfax as Santino Fontana

Cecily Cardew asCharlotte Parry

Jack Worthing/EarnestFashionable, respectable and responsible young man who was adopted by a wealthy man, Thomas Cardew. He represents conventional Victorian values and his character explored the hypocrisy of eras morality.

Jack also became the legal guardian of Cardew’s granddaughter, Cecily.

He lives a double as jack and as Ernest when in London.

Jack a wealthy land-owner and investor, despite his stuffy outward appearance is a hedonist and a liar. He is in love with Gwendolen who is the daughter of an aristocrat Lady Bracknell

Costume

Pastel colored Jacket, vest, pants, shirt, tie, hat, Charcoal tailcoat, striped pants, gray vest, cravat and top hat with crepe swathe Country attire, Striped blazer, white pants, shirt, tie, hat.

Algernon MoncrieffAlgernon is a charming decorative bachelor who enjoys the public spotlight and is in love with Cecily.

He is Jack’s best friend, the nephew of Lady Bracknell and the cousin of Gwendolyn Fairfax.

Algernon is a proponent of aestheticism, with no moral conviction, recognizing no duty than to live beautifully

He has a fictional friend “Bunbury,” whose relapse Algernon uses as an excuse to avoid dull social obligations

Costume:

Jacket, vest, pants, shirt, tie, hat, smoking jacket and ascot. The same as Jack’s Striped blazer, white pants, shirt, tie, hat

Gwendolyn Fairfax

She is the daughter of Lady Bracknell and Algernon’s cousin, she represents qualities of conventional Victorian womanhood and is bent of self-improvement.

She is in love with jack, who she knows as Ernest. she is at the point in her life of finding a husband, whose name must be “Ernest”.

Gwendolyn is a model and a judge of high fashion and society.

She is sophisticated, intellectual and utterly pretentious.

Costume:

Dress, hat, petticoat traveling suit, blouse, hat, petticoat

Cecily Cardew

She is grand daughter Thomas Cardew and is the ward of Jack, who Algernon is in love with.

She is a child of nature, ingenuous and unspoiled

Cecily is Fascinated with the name “Ernest” but wickedness is what leads her to fall with jack’s fictional brother “Ernest”

Costume:

Dress, petticoat, gardening pinafore.

Supporting Acters

Miss Prism as Jayne Houdyshell

Lady Bracknell as Meryl Streep

Reverend Chasuble as Brian Murray

Merriman as Tim MacDonald

Lane as Paul O’Brien

Lady Bracknell Miss Prism

She Gwendolen’s Mother and Algernon’s aunt. Lady Bracknell is snobbish and domineering.

She is cunning, narrow minded authoritarian whose primary goal is to see that her daughter marries well like she did.

She is Cecily’s governess and she approves of Jack’s respectability but criticizes his “unfortunate” brother harshly

Despite her rigidity, she has a softer side; she entertains romantic feelings for Dr. Chasuble.

Her costume consisted of a sensible blouse, skirt and petticoat.

Rev. Chasuble

He is the ruler on Jacks estate, and is referred as the “doctor of divinity”

Jack and Algernon request that he change both their names to “Ernest”

He has mutual feelings with miss prism as he entertains romantic feelings for her.

Costume: Frock coat, vest, pants, white shirt, dark cravat or Roman collar

Lane

MerrimanHe is Algernon's

manservant and is the only one that knows the truth behind “Bunbury”.

Lane’s Costume: Coat, striped vest, black pants, white shirt, tie.

The butler at the Manor House, Jack’s estate in the country.

Her costume included skirt, striped blouse, pinafore apron, mob cap, petticoat