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The Importance of Being Earnest

The Importance of Being Earnest

Adapted by Aurand Harris. From the play by Oscar Wilde.

Product Code: IA8000

One-act Play

Comedy | Farce

Cast size: 5m., 4w.


Livestream and Record & Stream Rights Available

Awards: The Charlotte B. Chorpenning Playwright Award


Rights and availability

This title can be licensed and sold throughout the World.

* Please note the royalty rate listed is the minimum royalty rate per performance. The actual royalty rate will be determined upon completion of a royalty application.

Available Formats
$9.95
In Stock
$9.95
(Unprintable)

Min. Royalty Rate: $50.00/perf

Synopsis

This superb adaptation is ideal for high school one-act play contests, classroom studies and mini-productions. The Importance of Being Earnest is a masterpiece of high comedy, sparkling with provocative observations. All of the highlights of the play are retained in this short adaptation—the plot's unexpected farcical twists, the characters and the dialog. Oscar Wilde called his play "A trivial comedy for serious people." He commented that the first act is "ingenious," the second act "beautiful" and the third "abominably clever." Audiences and critics alike applaud the play as a celebration of wit.

Notes

Livestream and Record & Stream Rights Available

Details

  • Status In stock
  • Type of Show One-act Play
  • Product Code IA8000
  • Minimum Cast Size 9
  • Pages of Dialogue 26
  • Min. Royalty Rate $50.00/perf
  • Approx. Run Time 40 min
  • Staging Simple set.

Categories

  • Target Audience High School | College and Adult
  • Performing Group High School | College Theatre
  • Genre Comedy | Farce
  • ISBN(13) 9781583427606

* Please note the royalty rate listed is the minimum royalty rate per performance. The actual royalty rate will be determined upon completion of a royalty application.

Customer Reviews

The script is beautifully edited and fit our contest needs perfectly. We also needed a gender change for a character and were accommodated. This was a fun production to do and this version is complete as a storyline.

Gerry L. Colvin, Regent Preparatory School, Tulsa, Okla.

This script was a fantastic abridgement by Aurand Harris! Kept so much of the witty dialogue, and did not leave out any of the plot points - bravo! It was a breath of fresh air in the world of Earnest, and my students took to it very quickly and loved performing it. If you are looking for a one act version of Earnest, this is the one!

Maureen Fish, Hingham High School, Hingham, Mass.

My students loved doing this show. They enjoyed the pacing and language. The characters and their motivations were understandable and approachable for the students. I also had a student director who was very successful with this one act.

David Smith, Portland High School, Portland, Maine

It was a perfect rendition of the full play. It was an appealing classic story to a new drama program.

Lizzy Brannan, Merritt Island Christian School, Merritt Island, FL

Hints, Tips, and Tricks

I felt it beneficial to work on script using accents from the start.

Lizzy Brannan, Merritt Island Christian School, Merritt Island, FL

Production Map

Location City State Opens Closes
Pioneer Heritage Middle School Frisco TX 01/27/2025 02/15/2025
The Mark O'Donnell Theatre Brooklyn NY 05/15/2025 05/17/2025
Lubbock Cooper Liberty High School Lubbock TX 03/27/2025 05/21/2025