This document provides details for directing a modern adaptation of Oscar Wilde's play "The Importance of Being Earnest". It discusses choosing the script, casting main characters with modern actors, adapting the setting to 2000s New York, and plans for lighting, set design, and costuming to bring the Victorian-era play into modern times while maintaining the themes. Key crew members are named and their roles outlined.

1. The Importance of Being
Earnest
Oscar Wilde
Director: Ryan Mathews
Lights: John Juarez
Set Design: Reethika Kalidindi
Costume Design: Shannon Kemp
Collaboration Group 62

2. The
Importance of
Being Earnest
Oscar Wilde
The Directors Notes
Director: Ryan Mathews

3. Choosing The Script –
Initial Thoughts
! When choosing the script from
the choices that were provided, me
and my team thought about what
we could do, that our audience
could not only relate to, but leave
them feeling satisfied.
! Going by the old notion that
Comedy is the best form of
medicine we decided to choose
Oscar Wilde’s “The Importance
of Earnest”.
! First performed February 14, 1895 at St.
James Theatre in London, “The Importance
of Earnest” is a satirical Victorian style
melodrama which underneath the witty
comedic lines, takes a look at ones often
self-righteous hypocrisy.

4. Our Approach on a Classic – Modernism
! When thinking about how we should approach this classic, we wanted to do something different than
what has already been done before. Former productions of this play are set in a old-style Victorian era, our
main goal was to help our audience be able to relate and understand the play in the best way possible. –
That is by adapting the play and having a more modern setting, with modern characters and people,
examples: 2000’s instead of the 1800’s, a penthouse instead of a Victorian styled mansion, ect. These were
ways we wanted to appeal to the audience based on the modern times.
Choice for Modern Appeal – Style of the Script/Directorial Concept
! An example of Algernon Moncrieff’s flat
in Act 1 for a more modern approach.
! Working with the set designer and
costume designer we came up with a
modern approach for each scene and
setting in the play, along with the
different styles of clothing our actors
would be portraying their roles in.

5. Casting The Roles
! As a director its really important to cast people you feel like would fit the persona and actions of the
characters you would like to portray. Not only that but you want to cast people that you feel like could
relate to the characters their self, and doing so immerse their self completely in it. By doing this you
achieve a better production, a more realistic production, and better audience appeal; because now what
you have is acting that the audience can believe in, emotions that are real, things that the average person
can now relate to. With that here are the nine people I have casted in our production for each role.
The Actors
! Mark Wahlberg as
John (Jack/Ernest)
Worthing, J.P.
! James Franco as
Algernon Moncrieff.
Your typical comedic/
witty, rich bachelor.

6. Casting The Roles
The Actors
! Kate Winslet as the
elegant/highly fashionable
Gwendolyn Fairfax.
! Mila Kunis as the
charming but somewhat
wicked, Cecily Cardew.
! Meryl Streep as the
cunning/authoritative Lady
Bracknell.

7. Casting The Roles
The Actors
! Maggie Smith as Cecily’s governess,
Miss Prism.
! James Faulkner as Rev. Canon
Chasuble, D.D.

8. Casting The Roles
The Actors
! Aidan Gillen as Merriman, the butler at
Jack’s estate in the country.
! Michael Caine as Algernon’s
manservant known as Lane in Act 1.

9. The Spine of the Script
! When reading this script
and planning out how I
would like to direct it, I
tried to think about an
overall theme or the
“Spine of the Script” the
message that was being
brought out and
questioned in this play.
! This play questions a
lot of things of what we
know/think about
concerning marriage;
debating whether its
pleasant or unpleasant,
but I would say the major
spine/theme of the play is
about the constraints of
morality, and the
hypocrisy of characters
such as Jack,
Gwendolyn, Dr.
Chausable.
! The irony is that the spine of the play is in the title
itself, “The Importance of Being Earnest”.
Earnestness is the quality of being both serious
and sincere which is the exactly what the play is
ridiculing. Ex: Ridiculing the Victorian idea of
morality.

10. Lighting
The Light Design
Lights: John Juarez
! The scene: Morning-room in Algernon’s “flat” in
Half-Moon Street. The room is luxuriously and
artistically furnished. The sound of a piano is
heard in the adjoining room.
! The indoor setting and lavishness of the room
call for a well lit space
! Contrast caused by the lighting should not be
jarring; the situation is being set up and the
lights should embrace an even pace
Act I

11. Act I
The main focus should be to bring out even
visibility to the stage

12. ! The scene: Garden at the Manor House. A flight of grey stone steps
leads up to the house. The garden, an old-fashioned one, full of roses,
alluding to the history of the play. Time of year, July. Basket chairs, and
a table covered with books, are set under a large yew-tree.
! Because the scene is outside, an illusion of sunlight should be created
! The rhythm of the higher intensity lights on the characters should be
sped up to go along with the rising action and building tension of the
story
Act II

13. Act II
To enhance the depth and aid in the
forming of an outside world, the tree
could be used to create contrast and
make everything more realistic

14. Act III
! The scene: Morning-room at the Manor House.
! Gwendolen and Cecily are at the window, looking out into the garden.
! Back indoors, things are coming to a close
! The stage is being set for a twist of fate and the resolution of the story
! The rhythm and intensity of the surrounding lighting should be a bit more
easy going than previously to match the mood

15. Act III
! There should be more contrast among the
lights, with more focus on the characters
! For some added depth, a light glow coming
from behind the window

16. Set Design
Set Design
Set Design: Reethika Kalidindi
! Because we are taking a
modernized approach to the
play, the scenes of act 1 take
place in an uptown New York
penthouse which belongs to
Algernon, and the time period
is set as the mid-2000’s.
! Actors will enter from the
main door of the penthouse
and into the foyer where the
action will take place.
! Realistic scenery should be
used to further emphasize the
modernization of the play.
Act I
! I believe that a
proscenium
stage would
be the most
appropriate
theatre space
to conduct this
play on so that
all the
modernized
elements can
be integrated
well.

17. Act II & III
! Acts 2 and 3 take place in Jack’s
mansion in the suburbs of New York. In
the beginning scenes of act 2, the stage
should be set up as the living room of the
house. As the act progresses, the stage
set-up is changed to look like the back
garden of the mansion.
! In act 3, the stage is changed back to
the living room of the mansion.
! In these acts, realistic scenery
needs to be used as well.

18. Costuming
Costume Design
Costuming: Shannon Kemp
! The setting is upscale New York,
mid-2000s. The fashion is iconic
and classy, but eclectic.
! The play is refreshed by a
modernistic touch, pulling the
characters into the present.

19. Jack Worthing
Due to his wealth, Jack will be in tailored suits of finer quality.
To depict Jack’s more serious tendencies, he will be costumed in dark colors.
When in his country persona of
Jack, he will wear fine but muted
clothing.
As “Ernest”, he will sport accents of color
that reflect his “brother’s” eccentric
nature.

20. Algernon Moncrieff
Algy’s laissez faire attitude is portrayed
vibrantly in his garb.
Bright, rich colors
show off Algernon’s
flamboyant
personality and
penchant for the
extravagant.
As “Ernest”, Algernon would be lighter in color than
Jack’s portrayal of the “problem brother”, but
relatively monochromatic compared to his average
day clothes.
This difference allows the audience to tell two very
similar characters apart throughout the play.

21. Gwendolen Fairfax
Gwendolen’s wardrobe belies her sharp wit and flirtatious nature.
Her outfits would be modest and classic, not forgoing her
femininity but remaining practical.

22. Cecily Cardew
Cecily’s wardrobe is accented by lace and
sheer fabrics, alluding to an air of purity
and imagination.

23. Lady Bracknell
The “height of fashion”, Lady Bracknell would
sport elegant dress with exaggerated
accessories, such as hats and handbags.

24. Miss Prism
Miss Prism being an older woman and Cecily’s teacher, I put her in modest, clean clothing. A
lot of monochromatic tones and straight lines to bring to mind the quintessential “school
teacher” while preserving the proper air she exudes and making her modern.

25. ! Being a “rector” in the original play, Dr.
Chasuble is very basically clothed in a black
robe and white collar of the church.
! In our version of the play, he will be in a more
modern suit jacket outfit, but still wear the
traditional white collar to denote his position.
Dr. Chasuble

26. The Butlers
Lane - Algernon’s Butler Merriman- Jack’s Butler
Being minor characters, but still having speaking lines, both butlers will have a
tad more flair in their outfits than the rest of the household attendants.
! Being employed by Algy, Lane will bear
more colorful touches that reflect his master’s
nature, as well as allude to his own wit.
! Under Jack’s employment, Merriman
will be in quite the traditional butler
attire.