Oscar Wilde knew the power of a witty story. This play has three scenes which are a turn-of- the-century London bachelor flat, the garden in the country house, and an interior of that same house. It was great fun to design. The portal was a framework where the panels framed by its structure revolved during act changes to reveal a "sky face" in act two and were redressed for the act three solarium. The floor, which becomes a backdrop in this theatre, was a busy pattern of marquetry. In fact the whole effect is busy - patterns over patterns - which I hope neutralizes itself enough to make the focus on the performer, and which seems not inappropriate for the intricately layered social world Mr. Wilde creates.

The Importance of Being Earnest, Oscar Wilde • Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park
Director: Michael Murray, Lighting Designer: Paul Gallo.