The Zephyr Theatre in Stillwater, Minnesota is currently accepting submissions for Oscar Wilde’s classic comedy The Importance of Being Earnest.
Written in 1895, The Importance of Being Earnest focuses on the adventures of John Worthing and Algernon Moncrief, two London gentlemen who both assume the identity of a fictional man named Ernest in order to woo two young ladies. As romance blooms, farcical misunderstandings develop that trip up the courtships of the young adventurers.
Rehearsals will be Monday-Thursday nights from 6:00 to 9:00 PM starting Monday, June 24 until Wednesday, August 7 at the First Presbyterian Church of Stillwater, 6201 Osgood Avenue North, Stillwater, Minnesota. There will be no rehearsals June 28 through July 7 in observance of the Independence Day holiday.
Performances will be Thursday through Saturday evenings, August 8,9,10, 15,16,17 at 7:00 PM at the historic Lowell Inn, 102 2nd St. N, Stillwater, Minnesota.
The production will be directed by Jay Scoggin.
The producers seek 8 performers to portray the following:
John Worthing: Masculine presenting, 30 years old, an eligible bachelor about town.
Algernon Moncrief: Masculine presenting, late twenties, a languid poser of the leisure class, bored by conventions and looking for excitement.
Gwendolyn Fairfax: Feminine presenting, mid to late twenties, a sophisticated and confident London socialite.
Cecily Cardew: Feminine presenting, 18, the romantic and imaginative ward of John Worthing.
Lady Bracknell: Feminine presenting, 50+, Gwendolyn’s mother, a strongly opinionated matriarch, dowager, and tyrant.
Miss Prism: Feminine presenting, 50+, Cecily’s governess, living a life of Victorian moral righteousness while longing for a secret life of passion.
Reverend Chasuble: Masculine presenting, 50+, the male equivalent of Miss Prism, full of Victorian righteousness, but perhaps masking some passionate longings.
Lane/Merriman (2 characters to be played by 1 performer): Masculine presenting, any age, servants of Algernon and John Worthing, very adept at their jobs and open to interpretation as to their attributes and qualities.
The descriptions listed above represent the characters, not the performers. The producers welcome and encourage actors of all genders, backgrounds, abilities, and those from historically underrepresented communities to submit for any role.
Interested performers should submit a picture, resume, and video link of a one-to-two-minute monologue that showcases their use of language with particular emphasis on clear diction. English dialect is welcome but is not necessary.
Please submit to [email protected] by 10 PM on May 1.
Please use the heading “Earnest audition” in the subject line.
Please specify the roles for which you would like to be considered in the body of the email and indicate if you would be available to attend an in-person callback the evening of Monday, May 13 in Stillwater.
If you would prefer an in-person audition, we will be seeing people at the Stillwater Public Library, 224 3rd Street North, Stillwater, MN on the following dates:
Wednesday, April 24: 5:30 to 8:00 PM
Saturday, April 27: 3:00 to 5:00 PM
Please contact [email protected] to schedule an appointment. Please include a headshot and resume, indicate which day you would prefer, and suggest an hour window in which to schedule your appointment.
Please use the heading “Earnest audition”, specify the roles for which you would like to be considered, and indicate if you would be available Monday, May 13 for callbacks.
Please direct any questions or concerns to [email protected].
Compensation for the project will be a $300 to $400 stipend.