Theater Project Group 14

2. 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.

3. 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.

4. 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.

5. 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.

6. 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.

7. 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.

8. 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.

9. 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.

10. 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.

11. 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.

12. Major Characters
Jack Worthing as
David Furr
Algernon Moncrieff
as Santino Fontana
Gwendolyn Fairfax
as Santino Fontana
Cecily Cardew as
Charlotte Parry

13. Jack Worthing/Earnest
Fashionable, 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.

14. Algernon Moncrieff
Algernon 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

15. 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

16. 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.

17. 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

18. 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.

19. 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 Merriman
He 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