Event Date
Auditions Nov. 16
Auditions Nov. 17
Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest is a sparkling comedy of wit, romance, and ridiculous disguises. The UC Davis Department of Theatre and Dance will be holding auditions for Wilde's "trivial comedy for serious people" in the Arena Theatre, Wright Hall on Nov. 16 and 17 which are open to all UC Davis students, faculty and staff. Please use the links above to sign up for a specific audition time.
Jack Worthing and Algernon Moncrieff have each invented alter egos to escape the tedium of polite society—but their double lives collide when love enters the picture. With mistaken identities, sharp social satire, and Wilde’s signature one-liners, this delightful, timeless farce skewers Victorian conventions and proves that nothing is more important than being earnest.
Please read this statement from our director and guest, Kate Eastwood Norris, in preparation for your audition…
Hello Everyone! I can’t wait to meet you all and get started on this masterpiece by Oscar Wilde that is, in addition to being perhaps the funniest skewering of the rich in Western Theatre, also about the ridiculousness of the masks society requires us to wear. It is a Comedy of Manners, and one of the many manners we will explore and explode is that of the outward manifestations of gender identity. Accordingly, our production embraces genderfluid, gender-blind, and gender-expansive casting to help explore this kind of social performance. All roles are open to actors of any gender identity. Please keep in mind, however, that this play does mention and employ occasionally strict male/ female differences and that it is a Comedy, which means any and all of its content will be addressed according to what can be learned through a humorous take on that content rather than focusing on how personally difficult or even traumatic some of this content might be. If you are willing to go on this Wilde ride I look forward to seeing you in auditions and in the classroom!"
All my best,
Kate Eastwood Norris