Adapted by Aurand Harris. From the play by Oscar Wilde.
Product Code: IA8000
One-act Play
Comedy | Farce
Cast size: 5m., 4w.
Awards: The Charlotte B. Chorpenning Playwright Award
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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.
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!
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.
It was a perfect rendition of the full play. It was an appealing classic story to a new drama program.
I felt it beneficial to work on script using accents from the start.
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 |
Gerry L. Colvin, Regent Preparatory School, Tulsa, Okla.