BY O S C A R W I L D E

THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST

CHOOSING A SCRIPT

• We chose The Importance of Being Earnest as our script to work with because the over-acting and extreme drama within the script really attracted us. As a younger group fresh out of high school we are no strangers to over-reaction and goofy situations, we chose to draw on that with this script.

• Furthermore we were drawn in by the human element of this show. While it is silly it also very real and easily related to because at times we have all felt we are in a ridiculous situation and that doesn’t deter us from feeling its effects. This show embodies that concept very well and is a great piece of literature that we believed everyone could enjoy and truly delve into.

SPINE AND THEME

• The overarching theme our production is that of human connection and what makes it real versus superficial.

• Much of this relys on the actors and their connection to each other however we will also interwine it within our production by have a set with a pastel set of colors and making the sets very elaborate. These aspects will lighten the feeling of the set and thus give a more fluffy, superficial feel to the show as a whole and raise the question: what is real?

• The spine of this show is humans, thus we will be very careful to accentuate that in each and every element of production and make our actors appear larger than life.

STYLE TO ILLUMINATE SPINE

• We are using a classic Victorian style with a softer twist to it to allow our theme (human connection) to show through.

• Using this style will upkeep the intention of the script as well as modernize it by illuminating humans.

DIRECTORIAL CONCEPT

• Our directorial concept is that of carnival culture. This play is full of life, play, and fun just like a carnival. Characters juggle identities, over-play emotions, and put on a show for many others- all aspects of this carnival.

• Our sets and props have items stacked in a very topsy-turvy fun manner, giving that brimming with life feel to the stage.

• Costumes are intricate and full of color giving a bit of a carnival effect.

• We will still maintain the shoes style while incorporating this aspect.

CASTING: MEN

• Jack- Steven Colbert Colberts’ role as a father in real life will equip him to have the fatherly side of Jack (towards Cecily) and his predominant goofy side will lend itself to Jacks’ desire to escape and the plays general style.

• Algernon- Neil Patrick Harris Harris’ history in How I Met Your Mother as playing a ladies man would help him portray Algernon’s characteristic of a ladies man, he does after-all lust after Cecily more than truly love her. Likewise that experience has shown his ability to portray a true friend and comrade which is precisely what Algernon is to Jack, also his playfullness is displayed in that role. All strong pieces of Algernon.

3

4

CASTING: LADIES

• Cecily- Amanda SeyfriedSeyfried has a childlike air to her that eludes to a mindset full of optimism rather than blunt reality, this leads us to choose her as Cecily. Not only does she appear young (however still old enough to love and choose) and full of life, her personality and past works (Mamma Mia) shows her abilities to portray similar characters.

• Gwendolyn- Kiera KnightleyKnightley has a piercingness to her that would lend her to the role of Gwendolyn as she needs to be head strong and unafraid. However she also has a reserved grace to her that would be a lovely representation of Gwedolyns high class upbringing.

2

1

CASTING: SUPPORTING ROLES

• Lady Bracknell- Julie AndrewsKnown for her role in Mary Poppins she has the classical,

reserved and yet powerful looks necessary for Lady Bracknell. With her training and experience Andrews could easily portray the high brow nature of Bracknell.

• Miss Prism- Jamie Lee CurtisShe has an older look (to show the time she has been

working) and the kind eyes of someone who would spend their life caring for others but also has a goofiness to her acting that would allow the ditziness innate to Miss Prism.

• Reverand Chausble- Robin WilliamsWith an older look and yet goofiness in his acting Williams

would be an ideal Chausble. He has both the dignity needed to portray a man of the cloth and the lighter aspect to align him with the style of the play overall.

5

6

7

SETTING OF SHOW

• Setting: 1890s – between Victoria & Moderns of England• Act One: London, England• Act Two & Three: Hertfordshire – rural county outside of

London

• The show will occur on a proscenium arch stage

THE STAGE

As is shown, our set is brimming with life and has a very circus-like feel to it in order to accommodate our directorial concept.This is a rough drawing but includes our general set outline.

THE STAGE- ACT 1: SETS

Act One – presented in front of skrim• Takes place in Algernon Moncrieff’s flat – small room, similar to

that of a living room• Set off with one side wall to allow audience to envision room

setting• Framed pictures on walls of family in London (Algernon, Lady

Bracknell, Gwendolen, etc.)• Comfortable furniture – Victorian styled, antique• Chairs, Sole couch, Table (for afternoon tea and Lady Bracknell’s

sandwiches)

** Placement in front of skrim allows for a small setting for Act One, letting the audience envision the actors out of Jack Worthing’s original setting (rural county outside of London, England), and thus showing the contrast.

THE STAGE- ACT 2: SETS

• Act Two – presented with skrim up, on the main stage• Takes place in a garden at the Manor House• Full space of main stage for:• Scenic background of backyard patio, trees, etc.• Backyard furniture – outdoor chairs, table with umbrella• Flower beds• Potted plants

** Placement on the main stage allows for adequate embellishment of large props and scenic background for full effect of fancy, upper-class garden and room to roam.

1

THE STAGE- ACT 3: SETS

• Act Three – presented on a scenery wagon/rolling room• Takes place in a drawing room in the Manor House• Amount of space suitable for:

• Victorian-styled chairs (singles)• Small table

• One wall of rolling room to resemble large window showcasing garden• Remaining walls to resemble wallpaper and book cases, etc.

** Placement in a rolling room for convenience of scene change and focus on a single room of the house; light will focus on room rather than full stage. Also allows visual placement of the house being directly against the garden and thus merging and juxtaposing the two objects.

2

As shown in this photo the garden should creep up to connect to the room in order to show that they are indeed part of the same location.

ACCENTUATING BOUNDARIES OF REALISM: SET

• This place occurs in a very realistic setting however it does push those boundaries with its’ drama.

• We will play the realism and use the dramatizations to create more realism. Using over-acting to show how humans are always over-reacting and this is real, this is normal life.

LIGHTING

VISIBILITYWith much of the play being set in Jack‘s manor in Hertfordshire, the lighting would allow the audience to be able to fully see the actors’ faces and movements, but not be overly bright.

Backdrop lighting

General stage lighting(floodlights on backdrop, low intensity yellow-orange)Actors are all seen

SHAPES AND FORMS

• Warm colored back drop lighting to go with the setting, using floodlights on the floor for the indoor scenes.

• Soft-edged spotlights from on top for the actors to be enhanced. • Soft side flood lights to give the illumination for visibility and more

dimension• Frontal flood lights to provide standard illumination.

Backdrop lightingSoft-edged spotlights

VISUAL COMPOSITIONS

• Keeping the stage fully illuminated while each scene occurs, only dimming

for scene and act changes. • Keeping spotlights on the actors onstage, especially while they are

talking or are doing movement essential to the understanding of the

scene/act/overall play.

MOOD & STYLEThe mood for the lighting would remain fairly neutral and warm or slightly bright until the confrontation of Jack, Algernon, Cecily and Gwendolen and Lady Bracknell occurs, then the scene can be either enhanced by higher saturation of the colors used on stage or shift to a gray to represent the shift in the tone of the scene depending on the other production elements.

The style would be a mix of realistic and nonrealistic. Most of the play would be realistic and try to portray inside a manor and give believable indoor lighting, maybe even provided by a lamp. Then

when the scene in the garden is occurring it can seem bright blue to simulate a bright sky outdoors, and then transition into a gray when

the conflict and confrontation occurs.

TIME AND PLACE• Since the play is set in the 1890’s,

the lighting would be pale warm colors (yellows and oranges) that encompass most of the stage to give the effect of being “vintage” and understanding the time period of which the play is set in.

• For the garden scene, the lighting would be more gray, but not dark, to give the effect of being outside in London and it’s surrounding area, which is where the play is geographically set. But the inside scenes can‘t reflect the geographic location that the play is set in.

RHYTHM OF VISUAL MOVEMENT

The rhythm of the lighting will remain slow and constant, only to fade in and out of scenes quickly with darkness on stage

for the set changes between acts and scenes when applicable.

If there is any crescendo in the music, then the lighting would intensify

CENTRAL VISUAL IMAGE

The central visual image that is being created would mostly be single scenes occurring inside a manor in the 1890’s. A central visual image would be a garden scene set outdoors

HISTORICAL PERIOD: COSTUMES

• Victorian Era (1890's)• Jack will be wearing a traditional well-tailored suit with a vest, with layered

shirts, 3-inch detachable collars and matching detachable cuffs; he will also be wearing white gloves.

• When Jack plays Ernest he will be wearing a long peacoat suit on top of the suit and a black top hat to present a sophisticated look. I think that giving Ernest a cane to walk without a leg injury will be a good prop to symbolize his deception characteristic.

• The Victorian Era is a time period where classical ideas were amongst society and fashion could be a determinant on your social class. The rich tended to wear clothing in with quality material and it was easy to distinguish them from the lower and middle class; the high class changed multiple times a day. This is displayed by Algernon by the amount of clothing that was packed for a simple weekend of relaxation. The people of society during this time period believed in the importance of fashion, even more than reasoning and logic.

STYLE OF PRODUCTION: COSTUMES

• The style of the play is going to be elegant and classical because that was the main ideas emphasized during the Victorian Era.

• The men were known to wear well-tailored suits to maintain the sophisticated look as the head of the household. Their fashion consisted of 3 inch high, stiffened and detachable collars with matching detachable cuffs. This form of clothing is worn by Algernon in Act I when he writes an address on his shirt cuff; they wore white gloves too.

• Women's fashion in the Victorian era was very artificial and uncomfortable. They were forced to wear multiple layers with a corset compressing the torso. Along with high-lacing boots, stockings, and a dress, they also wore white gloves; they occasionally wore hats. Women were expected to be elegant.

JACK: COSTUMES

• Jack will be wearing a traditional well-tailored suit with a vest, with layered shirts, 3-inch detachable collars and matching detachable cuffs; he will also be wearing white gloves.

• When Jack plays Ernest he will be wearing a long peacoat suit on top of the suit and a black top hat to present a sophisticated look. I think that giving Ernest a cane to walk without a leg injury will be a good prop to symbolize his deception characteristic. He wants others to think he adheres to such notions as duty, honor, and respectability, but he hypocritically flouts those very notions by using his phantom, Ernest, as an escape to go against the beliefs of Jack. Instead, he acts scandalous and uses deception in order to get Gwendolen to marry him. Also, when he planned on breaking the news of his fictional brother Ernest dying, he should have "mourning clothes" to create even more deception.

• More than any other character in the play, Jack Worthing represents conventional Victorian values. He is a very respectable and responsible individual and plays 2 characters. Jack is known as "Jack" while he is in Hertfordshire but goes by "Ernest" when he is in London. Ernest is Jack's escape from everyday obligations, so he is able to do as he pleases. He is trying to marry Gwendolen and Lady Bracknell wants a man of high social class. The Victorian Society was heavily influenced on the personal morality and they believed there were things you should and shouldn't do; they had this "ideal" image. Gwendolen stated she would only consider marry a man if his name was Ernest.

Image courtesy

of: http://mistercrew.c

om/blog/2010/09/29/victoria

n-era-style-1872/

ALGERNON: COSTUMES

• Algernon is a brilliant and witty individual that follows the basic standards and Victorian values of fashion.

• He dresses as a typical man of high social class would and is similar to Ernest because they both live a double life. Like Jack’s fictional brother Ernest, Bunbury provides Algernon with a way of indulging himself while also suggesting great seriousness and sense of duty. Their costumes should not be the same but should be similar to represent their resemblance in lifestyle.

• Algernon should also have a top black hat to symbolize his intelligent and witty character.

Image courtesy of: http://mistercrew.com/blog/2010/09/29/victorian-era-style-1872/

CECILY & GWENDOLEN: COSTUMES

• Cecily and Gwendolen should wear dresses that resemble wedding gowns back in the Victorian Era to put emphasis on the theme of the play.

• They also demonstrate characteristics of typical women in that time because of their demand on only considering marriages with men that go by the name "Ernest". This focuses on the Victorian idea of women finding an "ideal" marriage with a man that is held up to standard by the Victorian society. Men that do not meet the demands are not acknowledged by the women.

Picture courtesy of: http://indigoflesh.org/victorian-dresses-for-women-style-and-pattern/the-victorian-era-70006/

LADY BRACKNELL: COSTUMES

• Lady Bracknells’ costume should be that of a typical, high class, middle-aged Victorian woman. She should be wearing all the intricacies of that era to show her obsession over what is proper and no expense should be spared on her costume as that is not representative of her lifestyle.

Image courtesy of: http://www.deviantart.com/morelikethis/166890219/designs/theatre?offset=10&view_mode=2

PERFORMERS NEEDS: COSTUMES

• Both men and women in the Victorian Era were forced to wear multiple layers, and I believe having the actors do this would trap in too much body heat, causing discomfort. The actors being uncomfortable could affect their overall performance and quality of the play. The actors still need to provide the "ideal" image that was held as standard by the Victorian Society, so creating the illusion of wearing multiple layers may be possible.

• Instead of wearing multiple pieces of clothing for the costume,

fabric can be sewn on the shirt and under the coats to make it seem like there are multiple layers. This will still allow the actors room to move around freely and provide circulation throughout their costume. Likewise costumes can be made of more modern fabrics which would allow more airflow and thus comfort and flexibility while sustaining traditional looks.

SYMBOLISM

• One of the themes of the play would be the importance of marriage. Both Jack and Algernon have the motive of marriage for their actions. Both are willing to be christened with a new name simply to please the women they love, and do everything in their power to marry these women.

• The costumes should follow an elegant and classical style, almost like something that could be worn at a wedding. The costume's resemblance towards wedding outfits will symbolize the importance of marriage. During the Victorian Era, women were supposed to find an ideal marriage and follow their husband's business and interests.

WORKS CITEDCostuming photos:

http://mistercrew.com/blog/2010/09/29/victorian-era-style-1872/http://www.deviantart.com/morelikethis/166890219/designs/theatre?offset=10&view_mode=2http://indigoflesh.org/victorian-dresses-for-women-style-and-pattern/the-victorian-era-70006/

Casting Photos:2 http://www.popsugar.com.au/fashion/keira-knightley?page=21http://snarkerati.com/movie-news/seyfried-teases-mamma-mia-2/3 http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0170306/4 http://how-i-met-your-mother.wikia.com/wiki/Neil_Patrick_Harris5 http://

www.aceshowbiz.com/events/Julie%20Andrews/julie-andrews-premiere-saving-mr-banks-03.html6 http://www.people.com/people/news/category/0,,personsTax:JamieLeeCurtis,00.html7 http://atlantablackstar.com/2012/05/21/robin-williams-latches-on-to-angriest-man-in-brooklyn/

Sets;1 http://globalgoodgroup.com/blog/category/home-and-living/page/28/2 http://anne.sullivanmovies.com/articles/host-your-own-high-tea-and-you-could-win/

Lighting:Drtina, Jon. 2011. Columbia, MO. Fences. Web. 12 Apr. 2014.

Galaska, Tony. The Importance of Being Earnest. 2014. Rose Brand: Project. Web. 12 Apr. 2014.

Lambert, Sarah. THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST (CU) ACT 3. 2008. Ithaca, NY. Portfolio - The Importance of Being Earnest CU) Act 3. Web. 12 Apr. 2014.

Marcus, Joan. 2010. Dallas, TX. ROUNDABOUT BLOG THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST. Web. 12 Apr. 2014

CITATIONS

Drtina, Jon. 2011. Columbia, MO. Fences. Web. 12 Apr. 2014.

Galaska, Tony. The Importance of Being Earnest. 2014. Rose Brand:

Project. Web. 12 Apr. 2014.

Lambert, Sarah. THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST (CU) ACT 3.

2008. Ithaca, NY. Portfolio - The Importance of Being Earnest

(CU) Act 3. Web. 12 Apr. 2014.

Marcus, Joan. 2010. Dallas, TX. ROUNDABOUT BLOG THE I

MPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST. Web. 12 Apr. 2014