Auditions for The Importance of Being Earnest
Newly appointed Antrim Playhouse in beautiful Tappan, NY, will hold auditions for its upcoming production of The Importance of Being Earnest, written by Oscar Wilde and directed by Andrew Greenway. The Importance of Being Earnest is a mad-cap romp of manners and mistaken presumptions that is sure to infuse our frenzied pre-holiday lives with lighthearted joy.
AUDITIONS: Monday, August 31, Tuesday, September 1 at 7:00, Antrim Playhouse, 32 Old Tappan Road, Tappan, NY 10983
CALLBACKS: Thursday, September 3 (by invitation only).
(Due to stressors of end-of-summer vacations, prior arrangement of auditions will be considered)
PERFORMANCES: Friday, November 6th, 2026, through Sunday November 22nd, 2026 (Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays)
SHOW DESCRIPTION:
A tale of false identity in the late Victorian Age of England, where respectability and status are all; wit and beauty are paramount.
“Ignorance is like a delicate exotic fruit; touch it, and the bloom is gone”.
Characters:
Jack Worthing (Earnest)
Playing Age 25-40. Respectable country gentleman, intelligent, romantic, a bit of a stuffed shirt but quite comfortable with leading a double life, very dry.
Algernon Moncrieff
Playing age 25-35. Charming, witty, and very fashionable. Lives for pleasure, clever, deeply shallow. Fun.
Gwendolen Fairfax
Playing Age 25-35. Elegant, beautiful, farsighted. Romantic and very self-confident, refined and witty.
Cecily Cardew
Playing Age 18-25. Innocent but very clever, intelligent. Optimistic to the point of living in a fantasy world. Tough in her own way.
Lady Bracknell
Playing Age 50+. Fully commands the stage, formidable, aristocratic, an iconic power, total conviction in her opinions and what she is saying. Casting open to male- or female-identifying actors.
Mis Prism
Playing age 45-60. Prim, seething with romantic desire, proper, moralistic, deep connection with Dr. Chasuble.
Reverend Canon Chasuble
Playing age 50 to 65. Gentle and kindly, drawn to Prism, caring, awkward.
Lane (Butler)
Playing age 45 +. Very dry, unhesitant, deadpan, unflappable.
Merriman (Butler)
Playing age 35+. Calm, quick, droll.
Dancing Maid/Footman/Stage crew
Open age range, movement required, will transform sets between acts and interact with Butlers. No Dialog.
Notes
Audition sides will be posted on the website before auditions. This is a play of rhythm and character. While the situations of the play could be characterized as ridiculous, the characters themselves are committed to their importance. One might say-earnest. High British accents required.
Video submissions will be permitted in the coming weeks, but in-person auditions are preferred.
