Bard Theatre’s The Importance of Being Earnest will synthesize Oscar Wilde’s setting in Victorian England with inspiration from the queer and artistic subcultures in the 1980s/Thatcher Era England; think androgynous glam rock and flamboyant gender rebels like the New Romantics. This staging will feature unconventional gender presentations and queer relationships. BIPOC, trans, queer, and gender non-conforming performers are strongly encouraged to audition.

How to Audition

Sign up for an audition slot here — https://bit.ly/earnestauditions
Saturday August 8th, 2pm-8pm
Monday August 10th, 6pm-9pm

Jack Worthing — Lead
Presentation: Masc
Age Range: late 20s-40s
Our seemingly responsible protagonist who leads a double life as Ernest in the city where is friends with Algernon, and Jack in the country where he is guardian to Cecil. He hopes to prove himself as a respectable match for Gwendolen. 

Algernon Moncrieff — Lead
Presentation: Masc
Age Range: late 20s-40s

Jack’s charming and witty friend who loves a good scheme. He invented a fictional friend “Bunbury” whose poor health serves as an excuse for Algernon to skip out on dull social obligations. 

Lady Bracknell — Major Supporting
Presentation: Femme
Age Range: 50+
The domineering aunt to Algernon and mother to Gwendolen. She is prone to confidently pronouncing hilariously snobby and hypocritical opinions as the self-appointed (and undisputed) arbiter of polite society. 

Gwendolen Fairfax — Major Supporting
Presentation: Femme
Age Range: late 20s-30s
Algernon’s cousin and Lady Bracknell’s daughter; equal parts  sophisticated, cosmopolitan, and utterly pretentious. She is fixated on marrying a man with the name Ernest, which she believes to be the most virtuous name. 

Cecil Cardew — Major Supporting
Presentation: Masc
Age Range: late teens - early 20s
Jack’s ward. He has an active imagination and an entirely fictional diary. Like Gwendolen, he is in love with the idea of a man named Ernest, though Cecil associates the name with a fascinating wickedness. This character’s gender presentation has been changed from the original text.  

Prism — Major Supporting
Presentation: Any
Age Range: 50+
The absentminded would-be novelist who has been left in charge of Cecil’s education and care. Might be concealing an improper fondness for Rev. Chasuble.  

Rev. Chasuble — Major Supporting
Presentation: Any
Age Range: Any
The local ordained minister at Jack’s country estate who is roped into Jack and Algernon’s plans to rechristen themselves with the name “Ernest.” May be harboring an illicit crush on Prism.