THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST

A PRESENTATION BY GROUP #29:

MARGARET JERNIGAN, GEORGIO CHRISOPOULOS, KATHERINE DHARBAL, AND DIANA HINDI

SETTING

• Victorian era.

• Act I takes place in London, a busy metropolis where business practices and partying take place in equal measure.

• Acts II and III take place mainly in Hertfordshire which is out in the country. The countryside is where the nobility are able to really display their wealth and prosperity.

DIRECTING

MARGARET JERNIGAN

IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST

• I chose this script, with the input of my group, because it is a comedy that translates to the present day.

• Although this play is set in the Victorian Era, it’s an amusing satire on class structure and excess morality.

CAST

As JACK WORTHING- Chris PineTheatre Credits Include:Cast in Fool For Love, running Summer 2014Movie Credits Include:Star Trek

As ALGERNON MONCRIEFF- Jude LawTheatre Credits Include:Henry V and Anna Christie at West EndMovie Credits Include:Sherlock Holmes

CAST

As GWENDOLEN FAIRFAX- Michelle DockeryTheatre Credits Include:Pygmalion at the Royal National TheatreTV Credits Include:Downton Abbey

As CECILY CARDEW- Joanna VanderhamTheatre Credits Include:The Promise at The Donmar WarehouseTV Credits Include:The Paradise

CAST

As LADY BRACKNELL- Alan RickmanTheatre Credits Include:Seminar and Private Lives on BroadwayMovie Credits Include:The Harry Potter series

An occasional effect used in The Importance of Being Earnest is to cast a man as Lady Bracknell. This brings another element of comedy to the play.

CAST

As MISS PRISM- Maggie SmithTheatre Credits Include:Private Lives and Lettice and Lovage on BroadwayTV and Movie Credits Include:Downton AbbeyThe Harry Potter series

As REVEREND CHASUBLE- Jim CarterTheatre Credits Include:Guys and Dolls at the National TheatreTV Credits Include:Downton Abbey

CAST

As LANE- Benedict CumberbatchTheatre Credits Include:Hedda Gabler at West End and FrankensteinTV Credits Include:Sherlock

As MERRIMAN- Martin FreemanTheatre Credits Include:Clybourne Park, Cast in Richard III (running Sept. 2014)Movie and TV Credits Include:The Hobbit and Sherlock

THE SPINE OR MAIN ACTION

• The “spine” of Importance of Being Earnest is the attempt made by the main characters to find love.

• Both Jack/Earnest and Algernon propose in the play, to the two main female characters.

THE STYLE

• The style of Importance of Being Earnest is a loose form of realism known as selective realism.

• The characters speak and act in ways that the Victorian Era upper-class might; however, to allow for the satirical nature of the play to shine, they are more cognizant of the witty and deceitful nature of their dialogue than they might be in a more naturalistic adaptation of this play.

THE THEME

• The theme of this presentation of Importance of Being Earnest is the satire of the Victorian Era.

• The costumes are gaudy, the set is ornate, and the lighting highlights the elaborate set. The casting is meant to complement and heighten the humorous nature of the play.

DIRECTORIAL CONCEPT

• While the production is still set in the Victorian Era, the set and the way the characters carry themselves and behave would be more gaudy and showy than an extremely period production would be.

• This is intended to bring out the satirical nature of the play, and highlight that each line is meant to make a mockery of the Victorian Era.

COSTUME DESIGN

GEORGIO CHRISOPOULOS

JACK/ERNEST

• One actor will play both the roles of Jack and Ernest

• Jack will wear Victorian clothing, a top hat, a bow tie, and have a reversible jacket when he is at his home in England.

• The actor will reverse the jacket from a black color to it’s inside red color to explain his double life to Algernon.

• When the play transitions to the later parts of the production he will no longer wear the top hat or bowtie because he is supposed to relax in the countryside. He will, however, continue to wear the red part of his jacket.

JACK/ERNEST- CONTINUED

ALGERNON MONCRIEFF

• Algernon will also wear a full set of Victorian clothing and remove the hat and tie for when he is in the countryside.

• His suit will be a deep purple and wear a red vest.

GWENDOLYN FAIRFAX

• Displays a lot of qualities of Victorian womanhood and will be dressed in high fashion because her mother is obsessed with looking and acting high class.

• She will wear a pink Victorian dress and carry a fan to cool off. She will also wear expensive looking jewelry and have pink, purple, white and red roses in her hair.

CECILY CARDEW

• Cecily Cardew is a very imaginative young woman therefore her dress will be extravagant.

• The colors of her dress shall be purple and red.

• She will carry a book that she and Ernest have conversed about.

LADY BRACKNELL

• She acts very high class and only cares that her daughter be married to a respectable wealthy man.

• She will wear a white Victorian dress, carry around a white umbrella, and wear a hat with fabricated design and a large pink feather.

MISS PRISM

• She is the governess for Cecily.

• She will not be dressed elegantly like the other characters ,but will wear a simple dress and have a red tie wrapped around her neck

• She also will wear a pair of glasses.

 REV. CHASUBLE

• Will be dressed as a priest.

• He will also wear a cross around his neck.

• He will also wear a pair of glasses.

LANE

• Dressed as the servant of Algernon

• Will wear a black and white suit with a deep purple bow tie.

MERRIMAN

• Dressed as a servant

• Will wear a black and white suit with a red bow tie.

SET DESIGN KATHERINE DHARBAL

ACT I: ALGERNON MONCRIEFF’S FLAT

• A room furnished luxuriously in the Victorian Period style

• Victorian period furnishings included heavy furniture and fabrics, plants, china, and glass wear

FURNISHINGS ACT I

• Wood paneled walls painted green with gold accents

• Wooden coffee table in the center of the set with a sofa behind it and chairs on each side

FURNISHINGS ACT I

• Wooden coffee table in the middle of the set with a vase of flowers on it

• Fake tree behind couch

PROPS ACT I

• Silver cigarette case brought out on a salver

PROPS ACT I

• An empty plate and tea set sit on the table

• Sherry glass brought in to Algernon by Lane

ACT II: GARDEN AT MANOR HOUSE

• The set is an old fashioned Victorian garden, filled with roses that Cecily waters and cuts.

• The backdrop is painted sky blue with clouds

• Rose bushes line the back border of the set

FURNISHINGS ACT II

• Wicker table in center and two wicker chairs to either side of the table, there is a pile of books on the table.

FURNISHINGS ACT II

• Large tree with branches hanging over table set

• This could be a hanging painting of a tree coming from the wings

ACT III: MORNING ROOM AT MANOR HOUSE

• In the era that the play was set in, the morning room was used as a lady’s sitting room, a tea room, or a room to receive guests.

• The room would have been light and airy, decorated in lighter colors and fabrics

• There’s a window in the morning room to allow for lots of light.

FURNISHINGS ACT III

• Backdrop would include a wall papered lightly with a window

FURNISHINGS ACT III

• Sofa facing front of stage with a chair opposite it

• Light coffee table with same tea set and vase of flowers from Act I

LIGHTING DESIGNDIANA HINDI

ACT I

• In Act I, the entire stage will be illuminated fully, with dimmers set to intensify the level of brightness in the forefront of the stage where Algernon and Jack are speaking to each other.

• This will provide visibility of the set to show the time period it is in.

ACT I- CONTINUED

• Soft lighting will be used to portray the friendly mood and fun relationship of the two men in the morning room as they joke with each other.

ACT II

For Act II, in the countryside, spotlights in the back of the stage will intensify the scene to mimic bright sunlight. This will emphasize the time of day as well as the greenery of the trees on stage that will be part of the set.

ACT II- CONTINUED

• In order to mimic grass and the outdoors, green floor lighting on the front side of the stage will illuminate the floor to establish the garden location.

ACT III• Act III is set in the brightly

lit morning room. Having spotlights streaming in through a window into the room will emphasize the time of day.

• The room itself will have soft lighting from above to illuminate the entire stage.

ACT III- CONTINUED• In order to illuminate the entire stage to include all

the characters as they confront the truth of Jack’s identity, there will be spotlights above the stage. The lighting will be brighter than that of act I in order to convey time and a heightened and alert mood.

DIRECTING WORKS CITED

• http://www.celebhairdo.com/chris-pine-hairstyle-makeup-suits-shoes-and-perfume/

• http://judelawbrasil.blogspot.com/2011/08/quem-e-jude-law.html

• http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/masterpiece/downtonabbey/characters.html

• http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2469796/The-Paradise-TV-review-Leather-lace-withering-sarcasm.html

• http://www.ohio.com/the330entertainment/playing-vocal-role-in-sweeney-todd-scary-in-a-good-way-1.87013

• http://picornot.com/domain/emsworth.wordpress.com

• http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20769936,00.html

• http://cultur-ed.edforum.net/page/2/

• http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2014/02/18/benedict-cumberbatch-interview_n_4808816.html

• http://rippleeffects.wordpress.com/2012/03/17/the-importance-of-being-earnest-by-oscar-wilde/

COSTUME WORKS CITED

• http://www.aidecworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/011.jpg

• http://www.highsnobiety.com

• http://www.examiner.com

• http://www.popmatters.com

• http://www.buzzle.com

• http://www.fashionbelief.com

• http://www.fashion-era.com

• http://graphics8.nytimes.com

• crazygalcostumes.com

• http://www.bluemountaintheater.com

• http://wklondon.typepad.com/welcome_to_optimism/

SET WORKS CITED • http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/gallery/2010/05/21/

GA2010052102830.html• http://nationalfurnituresupply.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/Victorian-Sofa2.

jpg• http://www.jufurniture.co.uk/victorian-style-mahogany-spoon-back-armchair-frame-onl

y-2083-p.asp• http://souhantq.com/griffen-coffee-table/• http://www.clipartpal.com/clipart_pd/plants/basketsandboquets1.html• http://www.overstock.com/Home-Garden/Silk-Plants/978/subcat.html• http://thegraphicsfairy.com/vintage-clip-art-antique-china-plate-4-options/• http://www.artedona.com/en/Glassware/Glass-series/Theresienthal-Samira-glasses.ht

ml• http://www.memorablegifts.com/gifts/pc/Sophisticated-Silver-Cigarette-Case-

p1208.htm• http://www.christies.com/lotfinder/lot/a-victorian-silver-plated-salver-mark-of-

5336623-details.aspx• http://www.gardenornamentsdirect.com/red-artificial-rose-bush.html• http://www.inmagz.com/11001-17442-cute-and-quirky-a-brilliant-design-victorian-wall

paper• http://www.revitcity.com/downloads.php?action=view&object_id=8413• http://furniturevictorian.com/blog/category/victorian-living-room-individual-pieces/sof

as/• http://modernicaprops.net/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=2916

LIGHTING WORKS CITED

• http://www.d.umn.edu/~mharvey/bornyesterdaywideshot.jpg

• http://berkshireartsalmanac.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/Earnest03.jpg

• http://www.lightnowblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/rosco11.jpg

• http://www.pushing-pixels.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/sunlight_stream.jpg

• http://www.lightnowblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/rosco2.jpg