Oscar Wilde's Comedy of Manners



Let's consider what is required when acting a "Comedy of Manners." 

 The Oxford Dictionary has this to say about the Comedy of Manners:

 A kind of comedy representing the complex and sophisticated code of behaviour current in fashionable circles of society, where appearances count for more than true moral character. Its plot usually revolves around intrigues of lust and greed, the self-interested cynicism of the characters being masked by decorous pretence. Unlike satire, the comedy of manners tends to reward its cleverly unscrupulous characters rather than punish their immorality. Its humour relies chiefly upon elegant verbal wit and repartee. In England, the comedy of manners flourished as the dominant form of Restoration comedy in the works of Sir George Etherege, William Wycherley (notably The Country Wife, 1675), and William Congreve; it was revived in a more subdued form in the 1770s by Goldsmith and Sheridan, and later by Oscar Wilde.

 So What?

 The key is that the characters - who are often mischievous and rude (and even on the run from the law) are REWARDED for their behavior at the end of the play.

 Consequently, act your lines with confidence and rigour!
Be arrogant and clever - defy authority and savor your verbal victories !

 A good video to summarize 10 things to know about our play, especially as we discover a whole range of actor and actresses testing the text.

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