AUDITIONS WILL BE HELD: Dec 15th and Dec 16th at 7:30PM at Tyler Civic Theatre.
WHAT'S THE PLAY ABOUT?
Oscar Wilde’s most celebrated comedy sparkles with wit, romance, and ridiculous misunderstandings. When two young men invent alter egos to escape social obligations, they find themselves tangled in a hilarious web of lies, love, and cucumber sandwiches. Full of clever word play and satirical charm, this timeless classic proves that —in matters of love and identity
— nothing is ever quite as “earnest” as it seems.
WHO IS DIRECTING?
Our production of The Importance of Being Earnest will be directed by Allison McGee
WHO ARE WE LOOKING FOR?
TCTC seeks male and female actors, singers, and dancers of all ethnicities, ages 18 to 70+ for this production.
WHAT ROLES ARE AVAILABLE?
ALGERNON MONCRIEFF (Male, 20s-30s, British RP/BBC) The play’s secondary hero. Algernon is a charming, idle, decorative bachelor, nephew of Lady Bracknell, cousin of Gwendolen Fairfax, and best friend of Jack Worthing, whom he has known for years. Algernon is brilliant, witty, selfish, amoral, and given to making delightful paradoxical and epigrammatic pronouncements. He has invented a fictional friend, “Bunbury,” an invalid whose frequent
sudden relapses allow Algernon to wriggle out of unpleasant or dull social obligations.
Movement Style: Languid, indulgent, playful; Reclines, sprawls, prowls; Uses furniture like a cat with opinions
Vocal Style: Bright, musical, teasing; Excellent verbal agility and timing; Upper-class accent with ironic detachment
Actor Notes: Requires elite comic timing, charm without cruelty, and effortless mischief.
JOHN (JACK) WORTHING, J.P. (Male, 20s-30s, British RP/BBC) The play’s protagonist. Jack Worthing is a seemingly responsible and respectable young man who leads a double life. In Hertfordshire, where he has a country estate, Jack is known as Jack. In London he is known as Ernest. As a baby, Jack was discovered in a handbag in the cloakroom of Victoria Station by an
old man who adopted him and subsequently made Jack guardian to his granddaughter, Cecily Cardew. Jack is in love with his friend Algernon’s cousin, Gwendolen Fairfax. The initials after his name indicate that he is a Justice of the Peace.
Movement Style: Polished, restrained, upright posture; controlled physicality that cracks under pressure; Physical tension increases when lies unravel
Vocal Style: Clear, sincere, upper-class British dialect; Warm baritone/tenor range; Voice tightens during moments of panic – comedic pressure valve.
Actor Notes: Must balance romantic leading energy with escalating comic desperation.
GWENDOLEN FAIRFAX (Female, 20s-30s, British RP/BBC) Algernon’s cousin and Lady Bracknell’s daughter. Gwendolen is in love with Jack, whom she knows as Ernest. A model and
arbiter of high fashion and society, Gwendolen speaks with unassailable authority on matters of taste and morality. She is sophisticated, intellectual, cosmopolitan, and utterly pretentious.
Gwendolen is fixated on the name Ernest and says she will not marry a man without that name.
Movement Style: Precision movement, socially choreographed; Elegant but unwavering – she plants herself with intent; Tiny, decisive gestures
Vocal Style: Crystal clear diction; Bright ringing soprano/mezzo; Fast, assured, emotionally resolute
Actor Notes: A romantic lead with steel beneath the sweetness.
CECILY CARDEW (Female, 20s, British RP/BBC) Jack’s ward, the granddaughter of the old gentlemen who found and adopted Jack when Jack was a baby. Cecily is probably the most realistically drawn character in the play. Like Gwendolen, she is obsessed with the name Ernest, but she is even more intrigued by the idea of wickedness. This idea, rather than the virtuous- sounding name, has prompted her to fall in love with Jack’s brother Ernest in her imagination and to invent an elaborate romance and courtship between them.
Movement Style: Light, curious, buoyant; Youthful impulsiveness in physical choices; Shifts easily from innocence to emotional intensity
Vocal Style: Lyrical, open, flexible; Playful tone with surprising firmness underneath
Actor Notes: Must convincingly toggle between dreamer and emotional tactician
LADY AUGUSTA BRACKNELL (Any Gender, 40s-70s, British RP/BBC) Algernon’s snobbish, mercenary, and domineering aunt and Gwendolen’s mother. Lady Bracknell married well, and her primary goal in life is to see her daughter do the same. She has a list of “eligible young men” and a prepared interview she gives to potential suitors. Like her nephew, Lady Bracknell is given to making hilarious pronouncements, but where Algernon means to be witty, the humor in Lady Bracknell’s speeches is unintentional. She is cunning, narrow-minded, authoritarian, and possibly the most quotable character in the play.
Movement Style: Economical, commanding movement; Stillness is a weapon; Turns and pauses land with authority.
Vocal Style: Resonant, authoritative; Measured pace with devastating emphasis; Lower register preferred for weight.
Actor Notes: This is the engine of the satire – comic control is essential.
MISS PRISM (Female, 50s-60s, British RP/BBC) Cecily’s governess. Miss Prism is an endless source of pedantic bromides and clichés. She highly approves of Jack’s presumed respectability and harshly criticizes his “unfortunate” brother. Puritan though she is, Miss Prism’s severe pronouncements have a way of going so far over the top that they inspire laughter. Despite her rigidity, Miss Prism seems to have a softer side. She speaks of having once written a novel whose manuscript was “lost” or “abandoned.” Also, she entertains romantic feelings for Dr. Chasuble.
Movement Style: Fussy, precise, restrained; Tidies reality obsessively; Small movements reveal big nerves
Vocal Style: Prim, clipped, earnest; Emotional cracks emerge unintentionally; Often speaks as if delivering a lecture
Actor Notes: Comedy comes from over-control and moral rigidity.
REVEREND CANON CHASUBLE, D. D. (Male, 25-65, British RP/BBC) - The rector on Jack’s estate. Both Jack and Algernon approach Dr. Chasuble to request that they be christened
“Ernest.” Dr. Chasuble entertains secret romantic feelings for Miss Prism. The initials after his name stand for “Doctor of Divinity.”
Movement Style: Gentle, reserved; Awkward romantic energy beneath clerical formality; Slight stiffness that softens in flirtation
Vocal Style: Warm, formal, gently pompous; Calm rhythm that melts around Miss Prism
Actor Notes: Must play sincerity without self-parody.
LANE (Any Gender, 18-60, British RP/BBC) Algernon’s servant. When the play opens, Lane is the only person who knows about Algernon’s practice of “Bunburying.”
Movement Style: Minimalist, economically precise; Non-reactive presence heightens comedy; Glides in and out
Vocal Style: Understated, dry; Impeccable timing with flat affect
Actor Notes: Silent judge of societal nonsense.
MERRIMAN (Any Gender, 20s-60s, British RP/BBC) The butler at the Manor House, Jack’s estate in the country.
Movement Style: Minimalist, economically precise; Non-reactive presence heightens comedy; Glides in and out
Vocal Style: Understated, dry; Impeccable timing with flat affect
ENSEMBLE (Any Gender, 20s-70s) – 4 members. Some lifting required. Heavily stylized movement. Not your typical ensemble role.
Actor notes: Servants are the silent judges of societal nonsense. They mark the mood of the house and provide context for what the rest of the audience is thinking.
WHERE WILL AUDITIONS BE HELD?
All auditions and rehearsals will be in person at the Tyler Civic Theatre.
WHAT SHOULD I PREPARE FOR THE AUDITION?
Auditions for The Importance of Being Earnest will be held by “cold reading,” so there’s nothing to prepare, but familiarity with the show can be helpful.
While we will be making cuts to the original, you may find the full script (as a part of the public domain) here.
https://www.gutenberg.org/files/844/844-h/844-h.htm
Those interested in more information about BBC/British RP dialect are asked to take a look at this training video:
WHEN WILL REHEARSALS BE HELD?
Rehearsals will begin Monday, December 29th and will generally run Monday-Friday 6:00-9PM. Adjustments may be made according to the needs of the cast.
WHAT DATES WILL THE SHOW RUN?
Production dates are February 6-8 and February 12-15, 2026
**Please bring any known scheduling conflicts to your audition. **
If you have any questions, please contact the theatre at
903-592-0561 or via email at
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