Oscar Wilde

First performed in 1895, "An Ideal Husband" is Oscar Wilde's classic and much-loved comedic drama. The play tells the story of an up-and-coming politician, Sir Robert Chiltern, who tries to hide his secret past from his judgmental wife and the blackmail scheme he is forced to participate in to keep that secret quiet. Lady Chiltern has a very particular idea of what makes the "ideal husband" which leaves her with little tolerance for Sir Robert's all...

This lighthearted play tells the farcical tale of Jack Worthing and Algernon Montcrieff-two men who falsely claim to be named Ernest when they fall in love with two women whose affections are illogically but irrevocably tied to the name. The Importance of Being Earnest was popular upon its debut in 1895, but the reputation of Oscar Wilde's works declined when he was imprisoned for accusations of homosexual behaviour. It was not until the twentieth...

Algernon is a gentlemen from a wealthy family. Algernon's close friend Jack, has a ward, Cecily. Both Algernon and Jack have created alter egos to make life more interesting. Algernon arrives for a weekend visit in the country posing as Earnest. Having heard of Earnest's misadventures, Cicely has developed an infatuation with the rogue, and Algernon's impersonation of him works famously on Cicely. Meanwhile, Algernon's cousin, Gwendolyn, arrives for...