A Project Report on Changing the Background/Time/Social Context of a Play.
THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST
Act 1
Room in London
Algernon (Sitting in front of the computer and looking at photographs) Lane (Servant) Enters.
Algernon: Lane, come and see if these pictures are worth uploading on Facebook I am a bit confused.
Lane: Sir, I am confused too. You look good in all the pictures.
Algernon: You love to compliment me, don’t you?
Lane :Sir, Mr Eamest has left his blackberry behind
Algernon: the last time he visited. Give it to me. I will return it to him.
[Lane goes out. After some time he returns with Mr Earnest ]
Lane: Sir, Mr Eamest Worthing has come to visit you.
Algernon: Hello! What’s up?
Earnest: Hi, nothing much Can’t come to see my friend? I heard Gwendolen and her mother is coming today. I am planning to propose to Gwendolen today.
Algernon: You wanted to see your friend, right? Gwendolen. will not give you my permission.
Earnest: I don’t need your permission.
Algernon: Ohl But you do, I am her cousin. will not give you permission unless you tell me who Cecily
Earnest : [Shocked, yet keeping his cool] I don’t know anybody by that name
Algernon : [Taking Eamest’s phone out of his pocket) is this your phone?
Earnest : Yes. What on earth are you doing with my phone?
Algernon: You agree that this is your phone.
Earnest : Yes. What kind of a person are you? Do you have any idea how difficult it was for me to survive without my phone. I use my phone to set reminders and since I didn’t have it missed so many parties
Algernon: Oh, cut the crap. I saw on Facebook that you have posted pictures of yourself partying. You didn’t miss any of it.
[Earnest chases around the sola. Algemon tries to stay out of his reach)
Algernon: You said you don’t know anyone by the name of Cecily, so why has she messaged you, “When are you coming back, Uncle Jack?”
Earnest: Oh, that Cecily. She is my aunt.
Algernon: Really? Is that so? If she is your aunt then why has she addressed you
Earnest: Stop running and give my phone back.
Algernon: [Running] Hoy, she has a WhatsApp account. Nice Dp, tell me Earnest why your aunt is so young.
Earnest: Stop al (Snatches the phone from Algemon’s hand and sits on the sofa) She is not my aunt. You really want to know the truth?
Algemen: Not always. But at this moment I wouldn’t mind hearing the truth for a change.
Earnest : I was adopted by Thomas Cardew and Cecily is his granddaughter. After Thomas Cardew’s death he made me her guardian.
Algernon: Alnight
Earnest: Happy?
Algernon: Wait, not yet. But the message said Uncle Jack. Your name is Eamest not Jack.
Earnest : Gosh! Nothing escapes your notice. When in city go by the name Eamest and in country I go by the name Jack. I invented a brother named Eamest so that whenever want to visit the city or hangout with Gwendolon, I can present the excuse that my brother Earnest is in trouble and I have to save him.
Algernon: What a noble liar you are. [Lady Bracknell and Gwendolen enters, Algemon takes [ Lady Bracknell to another room so that his friend can have some alone time with Gwendolen)
Gwendolen: Have you seen the pictures that have uploaded on Facebook ? cannot believe that I have only got 700 likes. But at least I have got more than a thousand friend request.
Earnest : Who will not like you, you are so beautiful.
Gwendolen:(Interrupting Eamest) Why have you not replied to any of my emails on BBMS ? thought you were sick. But then go to your Facebook page and see pictures of you partying. I was so sad.
Earnest : I misplaced my phone.
Gwendolen: Oh, am so sorry. How did you manage to survive? If ever misplace my phone would crazy.
Earnest: [Getting down on his knees] Will you marry me?
Gwendolen: Oh yes! always wanted to. The day Algo said he has a friend named Eamest, just knew that I would marry him.
Earnest: You mean if I had some other name, say “Jack” you would not have loved me.
Gwendolen: Love. yes. But marry, I’m not sure, but why are you even bothered? Your name Am’t you happy that I accepted your proposal?
Earnest : I am delighted.
[Lady Bracknell enters and on seeing Earnest shouts)
Lady Bracknell: What are you doing?
Gwendolen: Mama. I am engaged to Mr Worthing. must post this on Facebook. have to change my relationship status too. Oh to think of the number of hearts that am going to break. am so happy. I cannot wait to read the comments.
Lady Bracknell: You will post nothing on the internot. hate those things. They spread faster than virus.
Gwendolen: Why not?
Lady Bracknell: You are not yet engaged. I need to speak to Mr Worthing. How much do you eam Mr. Worthing?
Earnest: Seven to eight thousand pounds a year.
Lady Bracknell: Good, do you have any property?
Eamest: I have a house in the country and about fifteen hundred acres land attached to it.
Lady Bracknell: Satisfactory. What about your parents?
Earnest: I lost them.
Lady Bracknell: How careless of you.
Earnest : No, No. I mean they lost me. I was found.
Lady Bracknell: Found? By whom.
Earnest: By a gentleman named Thomas Cardew.
Lady Bracknell: How delightful. May dare ask where did he find you?
Earnest : In a coffee shop, next to a vending machine in a black handbag
Lady Bracknell: This is unacceptable. Come Gwendolen darling, we must leave. cannot accept this union.
[ Exit Lady Bracknell and Gwendolen ]
Earnest : I cannot believe this.
(Gwendolen rushes inside]
Gwendolen: Mama will not let me marry you. Please text me your address. [Exits)
[Earnest, after texting his address, keeps the phone on the table and goes out. Algernon quickly forwards the message to his number and keeps the phone back, Eamest enters again)
Earnest: I cannot believe was forgetting my phone again. (takes the phone and leaves).
[Curtain deops]
Act 2
Countryside, a study room
[ Miss Prism and Cecily sitting Cecily busy with her tab ]
Miss Prism : Will you please stop playing with that thing and concentrate on your studies.
Cecily: This is not a thing. It is a tab and I am writing notes.
Miss Prism : Back in our days things were different. We had diaries where we used to express our feelings.
Cecily : You kept a diary, that’s ancient.
Miss prism: I need some coffee. (Exits)
Servant: Ma’am, Mr Eamest, younger brother of Sir Jack is (Enters ) waiting outside.
Cecily: The one who often gets into trouble. I want to
(Excited) see how he looks. Bring him in the study.
Servant: Okay, ma’am. [Exits]
Algeron: Hello, I am Eamest.
[Enters]
Cecily: Is that so? You must be starving. Wait here. I will bring you some food.
[Another part of the house. Jack enters and is sad and speaking to Miss Prism]
Jack: My brother Eamest is no more. He died of a cold.
[Cecily enters ]
Cecily: Uncle Jack, how nice to see you. Why do you look so sad? Have you lost your phone again? have somethingbthat will cheer you up. [She takes him into the study room] Guess who showed up today. Your brother Earnest.
Jack: (Shocked) What are you doing here?
Miss Prism: Come Cecily. Let them talk.
[Exit Cecily and Miss Prism]
Jack: Are you out of your mind? I told Miss Prism just now that my brother Eamest died of cold.
Algernon: What? Who die of cold? If you do not know the name of any disease,google it, you fool.Don’t you have Internet access?
Jack: Shut up. Why are you here ? I am calling a cab, you must leave now.
Algernon: But I want to stay.
Jack: And I want my brother dead.
[He leaves the room and calls for a cab]
Cecily: Heard you are leaving. Send me a friend request on Facebook. want us to be friends. (Enters)
Algernon: I want to speak to you face to face and not via computer, I love you and want to marry you.
Cecily: I am already engaged to you.
Algernon: Ok. Where was when we were engaged?
Cecily: In my mind. (opening the calender in her tab) See this date with a red heart drawn on it. This is the day we were engaged.
Algernon: On! Lucky me.
Cecily : Your very name made me tall in love with you.
Algernon: You love me because of my name? You mean you would not have loved me if my name was something else….
Cecily: (Interrupting) No way. There is a magic in that name.
Algernon: I must speak to my brother now. [Exits)
[Servant comes and announces that Miss Gwendolen has come and is asking for Mr Eamest Worthing (Jack)]
Gwendolen: May speak to Mr Worthing? Who are you?
Cecily: I am his ward.
Gwendolen: Eamest never mentioned you.
Cecily: No, not Eamest. Jack Worthing is my guardian. Earnest is my fiance.
Gwendolen: How can that be? am engaged to Eamest.
[Confusion is cleared when Jack and Algernon enter]
Gwendolen: [Pointing towards Jack) You are saying you are engaged to him.
Cecily: No, not him, that is my guardian.[Pointing at Algemon) He is the one I am engaged to.
Gwendolen: But you said Eamest. His name is Algernon and not Eamest. (Looking at Algamon) What are you doing here?
Cecily: He is Uncle Jack’s brother.
Gwendolen: No he is not and [ Looking at Jack ] his name is not Jack, his name is Eamest.
[Both the girls are confused]
Cecily: What is going on?
Gwendolen: Who is the real Eamest?
Jack: There is no Earnest. My name is Jack
Algernon: My name is Algernon and I am his friend
Gwendolen: You tricked me
Cecily: I am deeply hurt.
Gwendolen: I havn’t been this upset in all my life.
Cecily: Would you like me to take you out shopping ? Shopping always cheers me up, and may be some frozen yogurt later. There is a nice mall closeby.
Gwendolen : You are a darling. It’s like you can read my mind.
[Exit Gwendolen and Cecily ]
Jack: That is it, we know what we have to do.
Algernon: Yes! We do.
Jack: We have to do it together.
Algernon: Yes, brotherhood.
Jack: I am changing my name to Earnest and you are going home.
Algernon: Yes. Wait! What, that is not fair. I want to change my name to Eamest and I am not going anywhere.
Jack: He was invented by me, he is my fake brother. So, I get to keep this name.
[They both continue to argue]
Curtain Drops
Jack Worthing’s country house.
[Both Jack and Algemon still arguing. Lady Bracknell enters the room.]
Lady Bracknell: Where is my daughter, Mr Worthing? (suddenly she notices Algemon] What are you doing here?
[ Cecilyand Gwendolen enter with shopping bags.]
Lady Bracknell: (to Gwendolen) am worried and you are shopping here ? Why haven’t answering you been my calls and not replying to my text?
Gwendolen :Sorry, mama.
Lady Bracknell: You know since couldn’t get through you I had to track you down through your phone GPS.
Gwendolen : I am a big girl, I don’t need you to track me down.
Lady Bracknell: You are a stupid girl. [ Her eyes fall on Cecily and Algemon] [Algernon was trying to pacity Cecily ]
Lady Bracknell: Who is this charming young girl?
Algernon: She is my fiancee.
Lady Bracknell: Is it so? [ to Cecily ] What is your parentage?
Jack: (Interrupting) She is the grand-daughter of Thomas Cardew and she is quite rich.
Lady Bracknell: Alge and Cecily, you both have my blessing. Don’t you two look lovely?
Jack: Don’t they? Lady Bracknell, I would like to marry Gwendolen.
Lady Bracknell: No, I cannot let my daughter marry a person who was found and that also in a handbag.
Jack: I thought so. Algernon cannot marry Cecily.
Lady Bracknell: Why not? Is there a handbag sequel?
Jack: Funny. Its just that, after the death of her grandfather, she was left under my charge. Asper the will she cannot choose to do anything. Let alone marry without my approval until she turns 35 years old.
Algernon : I will wait for you.
Cecily : You can but I can’t
Lady Bracknell: You are doing this on purpose.
Jack: Oh I am sorry, but the handbag boy has decided.
[ Miss Prism enters and seeing Lady Bracknell leaves]
Lady Bracknell: Prism you! Are you trying to slip away?
Miss Prism : No, ma’am
Lady Bracknell: Where is my sister’s son?
Jack: Sister’s son!
Lady Bracknell: She was the governess in the house of my late sister. One day she took the baby out for a walk and did not retum. After a long search the police found the perambulator in a park with a diary inside.
[To Prism] You abductor.
Miss Prism : I am not an abductor. It was just a mistake, I left the house as usual to take the baby for a walk. After the walk I went for coffee. In absent mindedness put the baby inside the handbag and my novel in the parambulator, After coffee, I took the pram and left the shop. It was long before I realised that I lost mybag and the baby. I was so afraid that I left the pram in the park and ran away.
Jack : Can you describe the bag?
Miss Prism :Yes, I most certainly can, it was a black leather with my initials on it. [Jack runs out of the room and a loud noise is heard from the store room. After some time he returns with
an old black bag)
Jack : Is this the one?
Miss Prism : Yes! Yes! I didn’t think I will ever see it again. Here is my initials.
Jack : Oh my God! I am the lost baby.
Lady Bracknell: can’t believe, you are my lost nephew and elder brother of Algernon.
Jack : Lady Bracknell, mean Aunt Augusta, what was my Christian name?
Lady Bracknell: don’t remember but I know that since you were the eldest one you were named after your father’s Christian name.
Jack :Alge, do you remember his Christian name?
Algernon : He died when I was only one. I don’t remember.
Jack: He was a military man, right? His name must be in the military list.
Lady Bracknell: It should be.
Jack : Cecily give me your tab.
(He types nervously) Here are all the army names. He was the General of the London branch, right ? [He was surprised, after a long pause, he raised his head ] don’t believe this.
Lady Bracknell: What, dear?
Jack: His name was John Eamest. That means my name is Eamest. I finally understand the Importance of being Earnest.
[Earnest and Gwendolen embrace each other]
[Cecily and Algernon embrace each other]
[Curtain drops ]
Methodology: At first listed down the name of a few plays and then selected the play “The Importance of Being Earnest as my topic for this project. Thereafter read the play and sought help of my teacher to understand the background, time and social context of the play. Then decided to write the play based on the present time period. Next I discussed with my teachers how the characters would behave in today’s time. After that made a rough draft and submitted it to my class teacher. The teacher made necessary changes in the script to make it more interesting. Finally submitted the project report for evaluation.
Bibliography: Book: The Importance of Being Eamest: Oscar Wilde, Penguin India
Conclusion: Things I have learnt
- Thow to understand and change the background, time and social context of a play.
- how the characters are dependent on the background, time and social context.
- how the characters get accustomed to the new background, time and social context.
- how to develop communication and have your power of critical analysis.
