AUDITION CALL

The Importance of Being Earnest

 

Written by: Oscar Wilde

Directed by: Maria Monti
Performance Dates: Opening February 20 - March 8th (Fri/Sat/Sun)

 

Auditions:
Wednesday, December 10 @ 6 PM
Callbacks: Thursday, December 11 @ 6PM
Location: Willits Community Theatre - 37 W Van Lane, Willits, CA 95490

 

About the Play

 

Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest is one of the great comedic masterpieces of the English stage, a sharp, sparkling satire of Victorian manners, identity, and the absurd lengths people go to in the name of romance and social respectability. The play is witty, fast-paced, elegant, and full of delightful turns of phrase. Performers should have strong comedic instincts, verbal agility, and an appreciation for Wilde’s dry, clever humor.

 

Character List & Descriptions

 

John “Jack” Worthing

Male, 25–40

A responsible country gentleman who invents an alter ego (“Ernest”) to escape into the city. Earnest, sincere, and increasingly exasperated by his own double life.

 

Algernon Moncrieff

Male, 20–35

Charming, mischievous bachelor with razor-sharp wit. Lives for pleasure, improvisation, and social games; a delightful troublemaker.

 

Gwendolen Fairfax

Female, 20–35

Elegant, composed, and fiercely romantic. Deeply invested in the idea of loving a man named “Ernest.” Smart, confident, and socially polished.

 

Cecily Cardew

Female, 18–30

Jack’s ward. Imaginative, spirited, and dreamy with a streak of determination. Sees the world as she wants it to be.

 

Lady Bracknell

Female, 50–75

Formidable, imposing, and iconic. A guardian of social propriety with thunderous comedic timing. One of Wilde’s greatest characters.

 

Miss Prism

Female, 40–70

Cecily’s governess. Proper, bookish, slightly flustered; harbors a long-simmering affection for Dr. Chasuble.

 

Dr. Chasuble

Male, 40–70

The local rector. Mild, thoughtful, and endearingly awkward, especially around Miss Prism.

 

Lane

Any gender, 25–60

Algernon’s unflappable butler. Dry, understated humor; a master of quiet reactions.

 

Merriman

Any gender, 25–60

Jack’s servant at the country estate. Proper and efficient; another subtle comedic role.