'The Importance of Being Earnest' auditions begin May 23

PENSACOLA — Panhandle Community Theatre has scheduled auditions for its next production, “The Importance of Being Earnest.”

Auditions are 6-8 p.m. May 23, 24 and 26 at 4646 Woodbine Road, Pace. Bring a brief biography.

Four to five males and four to five females — from high school age to late 30s — are sought for these characters:

●John (Jack/Ernest) Worthington, the play’s protagonist

●Algernon Moncrieff, the play’s secondary hero

●Gwendolen Fairfax, Algernon’s cousin and Lady Bracknell’s daughter

●Cecily Cardew, granddaughter of Jack’s adopted father

●Lady Bracknell, Algernon’s snobbish aunt and mother of Gwendolen.

●Miss Prism, Cecily’s governess

●Rev. Canon Chasuable, the rector of Jack’s estate

●Lane, Algernon’s manservant

●Merriman, the butler at the Manor House

Oscar Wilde’s comedy tells the story of two bachelors, John ‘Jack’ Worthing and Algernon ‘Algy’ Moncrieff, who create alter egos named Ernest to escape their tiresome lives. They attempt to win the hearts of two women who, conveniently, claim to only love men called Ernest.

The pair struggle to keep up with their own stories and become entangled in a tale of deception, disguise and misadventure. The elaborate plot ridicules Victorian sensibilities with some of the best loved, and bizarre, characters to be found on the modern stage.

See www.panhandlecommunitytheatre.com or

Facebook.com/panhandlecommunitytheatre for more information. 

This article originally appeared on Santa Rosa Press Gazette: 'The Importance of Being Earnest' auditions begin May 23