About UsThe Importance of Being Earnest: A Trivial Comedy for Serious People, is a play written by Oscar Wilde. The play was written in the summer of 1894 in Worthing, England. It was first performed on February 14th, 1895, but was not published until 1899 by L Smithers. It was written during a time where aestheticism was rising in popularity, which is an essential component to this play.
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It is important to note that when discussing the topic of genre in a play the focus is on comes a drama. That being said within all the drama there is a mix of satire, intellectual farce, and comedy - social or comedy of manners - along with a play of words. The reader is able to sense sarcasm or foreshadowing in the play from the very beginning. It is important to read between the lines and imagine the play as an audience member. The play can be imagined as if the characters are speaking with a sarcastic manner and a hint of a playful or teasing tone. With the tone set, it is important to have a stage design in mind. |
The stage itself wouldn’t be too big, since there are not very many characters in the play. The first and last scenes take place inside, but different locations in London. There would be a home like set for those two scenes. The second scene would take place outside in a backyard with a lot of flower or a garden present to give it a more country feel. It is also important to cast actors who are able to talk in a sarcastic manner and come off as comedic rather than rude. For a play it is important to think outside the box and bring the reading to a theater and/or drama level. |