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Home > Browse > Collections > 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.

Script use

Available Formats

Print Script

$9.95

In Stock

Digital Script

$9.95

(Unprintable)

Min. Royalty Rate: $50.00/perf

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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

Read an Excerpt

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.

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