Gross Indecency: The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde

by Moisés Kauffman
Directed by Sarah Merkey
Stage Manager Wendy Brinker

Production Kickoff: Nov 09, 2025

Audition: Nov 16, 2025

Performance Dates

Jan. 30, 31, Feb. 6, 7, 13, & 14, 2026 at 8:00PM
Feb. 8 & 15, 2026 at 2:00PM
Pay-What-You-Will Preview: January 29

Unless specifically noted, all roles are open to all regardless of race or ethnicity.

  • This is an ensemble show with casting completely flexible without regard to gender, race, age, ethnicity, or sexual orientation. Members of the LGBTQIA+ community are especially welcome due to the themes of this show!
  • There will be between 9-19 actors, with many people playing multiple roles
  • We need lords, lawyers, judges, witnesses, narrators, press, young lovers, and Oscar Wilde himself
Sample Casting Choices Include:
  • Actor 1 - Oscar Wilde
  • Actor 2 - Clarke (his lawyer)
  • Actor 3 - Lord Alfred Douglas (Bosie, Oscar's love)
  • Actor 4 - Marquess of Queensbury (Bosie's father)
  • Actor 5 - Carson (1st trial's defense attorney), Migge
  • Actor 6 - Gil (2nd trial's prosecutor), Constance (Wilde's wife)
  • Actor 7 - Lockwood (3rd trial's prosecutor), Warder, Sgt Richards
  • Actor 8 - Judge, God
  • Actor 9 - Queen Victoria, Speranza (Wilde's mother), Moises Kaufman
  • Actor 10 - George Bernard Shaw, Willie (Oscar's drunk brother)
  • 6+ Narrators -- narrators are the commentators on the action, and also play various parts within the action

Gross Indecency: The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde is a documentary-style play by Moises Kaufman (creator of The Laramie Project) that uses transcripts, letters, and other historical documents to present a fictional recreation of the three trials Oscar Wilde faced in 1895, which ultimately led to his imprisonment for "gross indecency", or as he called it, "the love which dares not speak its name". This very timely play explores themes of bias, discrimination, injustice, the role of art & artists in society, and the criminalization of homosexuality. The script is fast-paced and compelling. The set is minimal. Wilde is charismatic and entertaining, but his fame, wealth and wit cannot save him from his own hubris and recklessness, or from the politics of Victorian England.

Sarah Merkey has her B.A. in Theatre, with a day job in the financial services industry. Sarah has performed with MadLab, Eclipse, and Shakespeare Underground in addition to Trevor, Present Laughter, Marvin's Room, and Secret Garden at Curtain. She has also directed high school and community theatre -- favorite shows include Kiss Me Kate, When Hedy Met Howie, Crimes of the Heart, Into the Woods, and Beauty Queen of Leenane. Sarah's goal in directing is to "hold as 'twere the mirror up to nature, to show virtue her true face, scorn her own image, and the very age and body of the time his form and pressure".

When

  • Production Kickoff: Sun, Nov 09, 2025, 6:30 pm
  • Audition: Sun, Nov 16, 2025 - You choose your time slot!
    • Sign up for Audition Slots: SignUpGenius
      Audition slots are available at 5pm, 6pm, 7pm, 8pm, or 9pm and will be 45 minutes each.
      Each person will read at least twice during their 45-minute audition slot.
    • Audition Form
      (complete in advance, or come 10 minutes early to fill out a form at auditions, we will have plenty of forms printed & available)

Where

Script review, auditions, and performances take place at:
Curtain Players Theatre
5691 Harlem Road, Galena, OH 43021

Curtain Players offers an information session for each of its productions as a help for actors seeking roles, but attendance is not required to audition. The event is an opportunity for actors to become acquainted with the community theatre organization, to discuss the play with the director, and to ask questions about the audition process, rehearsal period, and production plans. Those interested in working behind the scenes are also invited to attend.

Curtain Players conducts open auditions for its productions. Roles are not cast in advance, and, unless specified otherwise in the role's description, are open to all without regard to race or ethnicity. Casting decisions are made by the director and a casting committee comprised of (at minimum) a member of the theatre board, a general member of the organization, and individuals of the director's choosing.

Auditions will be conducted between 5pm and 9pm at the theatre, in 45-minute time slots. The format will be cold readings of scenes and speeches from the script. The audition sides will be shared at the production kickoff. Each person auditioning will read at least 2 scenes, solo or with other auditioners signed up in the same time slot. If you would like to audition, please sign up for an audition slot here: Sign Up Genius.

Walk-ins on November 16th will be accommodated as soon as time allows. Casting for roles in this production are completely flexible by gender, race, ethnicity and sexual orientation. Anyone can play any part. Casting decisions will be made by a casting committee consisting of: the Director, the Producer, the Stage Manager, the Artistic Advisor, a Board Member, and a General Member of Curtain Players.

Requests for an early audition for Gross Indecency: The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde must be made no later than November 02, 2025.

Questions related to the audition process may be directed to production@curtainplayers.org.


Rehearsals will take place Sunday afternoon or evening, and 3-4 nights a week in December and January, from approx 6:30-9pm. We will take a break for a week between Christmas and New Years. Due to the ensemble nature of the script, actors should expect to be at most rehearsals.
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Curtain Players is an award-winning theater serving the central-Ohio area. We have been routinely recognized by AACT, OCTA, and Theatre Roundtable for our tradition of excellence. Learn more about who we are!