1. The Importance of
Being Earnest
By: Oscar Wilde
Presented by: (Group 100) Chandika, David, Lucas, Tina

2. Director (David Concepcion)
Goals of a Director:
•Help choose the script for performers to use when they act
o often many versions of the same play
•Decide on which performers get to act each part
o help actors get a part based on their personal strengths
•Shape the spine of the play and establish the theme using design elements
•Find a style that will help convey the main ideas
•Develop a directorial concept that is best for the play

3. Director
Play: The Importance of Being Earnest
Script: The original playwright by Oscar Wilde

4. Director
Cast:
• Jack/Ernest Worthing - Josh Radnor
• Algernon Moncrieff - Jason Segel
• Gwendolen Fairfax - Cristin Milioti
• Cecily Cardew - Alyson Hannigan

5. Director
Jack/Ernest Algernon Gwendolen
Cecily

6. Director
Cast (Continued):
• Lady Bracknell - Julie Andrews
• Miss Prism - Cobie Smulders
• Dr. Chasuble - Neil Patrick Harris
• Lane - Simon Kunz

7. Director
Lady
Bracknell
Miss Prism
Dr. Chasuble
Lane
Merriman

8. Director
Theme:
• Portrayal of Marriage
• True vs. Fake Identities
• Hypocrisy of the Upper Class
• True Love / Romance

9. Director
Style:
• Satirical
• Humorous/Witty
• Victorian Era
• Upper Middle Class

10. Director
Directorial Concept:
The Importance of Being Earnest is a famous drama/comedy which takes
place in the Victorian Era in the upper-middle class society of London.
Through Oscar Wilde’s script, we want to showcase his satirical, humorous
wit through the production elements of set design, lighting design, and
costume design. With the help of these theatrical elements, the main
themes of portrayal of marriage, true vs fake identities, hypocrisy of the
upper class, and true love/romance are to become very clear to the
audience.

11. Set Designer (Lucas Mann)
Goals of a Set Designer:
•Create an environment (on stage and off) for performers
•Be able to establish mood of play
o Simple sets with uplifting music conveys relaxed mood
o Complex sets with slow classical music conveys rigid and proper
mood
•Aid in distinguishing realistic from non-realistic design location of sets
•Have a design concept in mind and collaborate with producer
o making sure set design is practical and feasible for play
o aspects
•Establish the time period and Provide a visual metaphor
o In this play an example would be the cigarette case

12. Set Designer
Act I (part I)
○ Setting is Algernon
Moncrieff’s apartment in the
late 1800’s, London, England
○ Set of his apartment is filled
with elegantly designed
furniture, representative of
time period
○ A large chandelier hangs in
the room as to show his
wealth

13. Set Designer
Act I (Part I) Continued
• Visual metaphor- cigarette case Jack
Worthing has. “dear Uncle Jack” is
inscribed on it and this case
represents the title of play and theme
about being earnest

14. Set Designer
Act I (Part II)
• Setting is Algernon
Moncrieff’s apartment
living room. Lady
Bracknell and
Gwendolen arrive and
they sit to talk
• Food is present, and
Lane brings it to the
guests in Algernon’s
apartment.

15. Set Designer
Act I (Part II) Continued
• Set is living room, with the focus on
the loveseat. Jack professes his love
to Gwendolen. They are the only
actors on set. Algernon and Lady
Bracknell have gone to the piano
room
• Visual Metaphor is seen here when
Gwen thinks Jack’s name is Ernest

16. Set Designer
Act II (Part 1)
• Setting is the garden of Jack’s
Estate/ The Manor House
• House in the background is
victorian in style, elegant
• roses and dirt are on the set,
that include a large garden
• Act opens with Cecily watering
the rose garden and Miss
Prism trying to teach her
German

17. Set Designer
Act II (Part II)
• Setting is Jack’s Estates/ The
Manor House by the garden
and front door area
• Algernon and Jack are
caught in a web of lies as
Jack says Ernest has died
and the cigarette case would
be visible on the set
• The set moves briefly inside
the house as Jack argues
with Algernon

18. Set Designer
Act III (Part I)
• Setting is the garden of The Manor
House
• Jack and Algernon are sitting in the
garden and get confronted by Cecily
and Gwendolen
• The men have to make up an excuse
as to why they lied about their identities
• Cigarette case is present as Jack and
Algy try to make up lies
• The men decide to get rechristened

19. Set Designer
Act III (Part II)
•Setting is The Manor House with Miss
Prism and Dr. now entering the set
•It is revealed that Jack’s mother is Miss
Prism because of the handbag
•once again the cigarette case is present
as Jack realizes the importance of being
Earnest
•Everyone realizes what happened and
they are all happy for Jack can marry
Gwendolen and Algernon can marry
Cecily

20. Light Designer (Chandika Silva)
Goals :
• provide visibility
• assist in creating mood
• establish the rhythm of visual movement
• reinforce the central visual image

21. Act I, Part One
• In this scene I will use the lighting to:
 To put a spotlight on Jack. This will highlight Jack being caught in
a lie for calling himself “Earnest”
 During regular parts of the play I will keep the stage well lit but not
too bright. This will create the effect of the room being lit by
sunlight.

22. Act I, Part Two
• In this scene I will use the lighting to:
 Create a sense of tension with red light when Gwendolen
announces that she is engaged to Jack.
 Still continue to keep the stage well lit but not too bright during the
regular parts. This will create the effect of the room being lit by
sunlight.
 Also I will add red lighting on Algernon when he says he is “going
Bunburying” to create foreshadowing of mischief.

23. Act II, Part One
• In this scene I will use the lighting to:
 Use bright lights to imitate sunlight because a great majority of
Act II part one takes part outside in the garden of the Manor
House in Jack’s Estate.

24. Act II, Part Two
• In this scene I will use the lighting to:
 Use very bright lights to imitate sunlight because a great majority
of Act II part Two takes part outside in the garden in the Manor
House in Jack’s Estate.
 I intend to use spotlights to shine of Jack and Algernon when they
get caught in their lie.
 I intend to use red lighting to create sense of surprise when Jack
and Algernon both confess to their lies

25. Act III, Part One
• In this scene I will use the lighting to:
 To create a bright and well lit scene.
 I intend to make the lights on Jack and Algernon brighter while
they are getting interrogated by Cecily and Gwendolen
 I intend to use red lighting to create sense of surprise and anger
when Lady Bracknell asks about Lady Prism.

26. Act III, Part Two
• In this scene I will use the lighting to:
 To create a spotlight on Lady Prism as she is being interrogated
by Lady Bracknell and Jack.
 Then I want to create a warm and celebratory feeling when Jack
finally learns the truth so I will use warm colors to light up the
stage, for example yellow.

27. Costume Designer (Tina Yang)
Goals of a Costume Designer:
• Create the scene/setting through appropriate wear, while fitting the era,
mood, and tone of the play to various costume designs
• Conveying information regarding the character; allowing impersonation of
characters to come alive
• Concerning clothing, accessories, hair design, makeup, masks/wigs with
the appropriate setting
• Making sure details are considered such as shaping, color, and fabric of
the costume

28. Costume Designer
Act I, Part One (Setting: Algernon Moncrieff’s place in
London’s West End)
• Algernon’s butler, Lane: Lane will wear butler appropriate costume design
in a higher-end side of town, Mayfair
• Algernon: He is expecting company, therefore must be dressed up fitting
for afternoon tea
• Mr. Worthing: “Ernest” is in town for pleasure but expects to propose to
Gwendolyn, therefore he is dressed more formally

29. Costume Designer
Lane Algernon Jack Worthing

30. Costume Designer
Act I, Part Two (Setting: Algernon Moncrieff’s place in
London’s West End)
• Lady Bracknell: Aunt of Algernon, is invited to Algernon’s house for tea,
she is dressed for afternoon tea; she’s dressed casual yet ladylike.
• Gwendolen Fairfax: She is younger in age compared to Lady Bracknell,
and she is dressed for afternoon tea, something light in color, ladylike, and
comfortable.

31. Costume Designer
Lady Bracknell Gwendolyn

32. Costume Designer
Act II, Part One (Setting: Jack’s estate The Manor House
in Hertfordshire)
• Miss Prism: A German teacher in the country; dressed as a school teacher
for the wealthy
• Cecily: Younger female dressed appropriately as a resident of
Hertfordshire/the wealthy; light in color for the daytime & loose-fitted
• Dr. Chasuble: The priest/representative for the town
• The butler, Merriman: dressed in butler attire for Hertfordshire
• Algernon pretending to be Ernest Worthing: dressed perfectly, ready to
meet Cecily
• Mr. Worthing: “Jack” arrives to his house in Victorian mourning clothing

33. Costume Designer
Miss Prism Cecily Dr. Chasuble

34. Costume Designer
Merriman Algernon Jack Worthing

35. Costume Designer
Act II, Part Two (Setting: Jack’s estate The Manor House
in Hertfordshire)
• Gwendolyn: She’s visiting the real Ernest Worthing; dressed to impress in
a classy dress
• Jack: He leaves the scene to go change; he comes back in a more
casual/comfortable attire as he is in his own home

36. Costume Designer
Gwendolyn Jack

37. Costume Designer
Act III, Part One (Setting: Jack’s estate The Manor House
in Hertfordshire)
• Lady Bracknell: Dressed in a normal, day to day outfit as an older Victorian
woman
• Dr. Chasuble: Priest attire (Same as Act II, Part One)

38. Costume Designer
Dr. ChasubleLady Bracknell

39. Costume Designer
Act III, Part Two (Setting: Jack’s estate The Manor House
in Hertfordshire)
• Miss Prism: Teacher attire (Same as Act II, Part One)
Miss Prism