Gross Indecency: The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde

Current Issue
Written By Taylor Onski

A Documentary Play from Cambrian Players’ Green Room Series

By Taylor Onski

Irish author, poet, and playwright Oscar Wilde says, “The truth is rarely pure and never simple.” This is something Cambrian Players will explore with their upcoming Green Room reading of Gross Indecency: The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde.

“This one I wanted to do because I really like documentary theatre or verbatim theatre,” says director Andrew Paulsen. “This play takes contemporary court documents, newspaper accounts, and books by and about Oscar Wilde.” Written by playwright Moisés Kaufman, this documentary play chronicles the unjust downfall of the famed Irish writer after one lawsuit he brought led to multiple trials accusing him of indecency due to his relationships with men.

This is not the first time Paulsen has explored theatrical blending of truth and theatre. His second Cambrian performance was The Laramie Project, a play from Kaufman’s documentary theatre group, the Tectonic Theatre Project, about the aftermath of the murder of Matthew Shepherd. “Documentary theatre is different,” says Paulsen. “While you’re presenting the truth, you’re also interpreting it through different actors’ and directors’ perspectives. I’m really looking forward to seeing how various people come up with their own ideas of the truth.”

Paulsen will direct a cast of 15 to 20 local actors in this one-night-only reading, with minimal rehearsals and blocking and scripts in hand. The Green Room Series readings are great for theatre patrons looking to see theatre stripped down, but as skilled in production and performances as mainstage shows. “We consider the Green Room a place to play: a chance for us to test out different scripts, play with ideas, have fun, and share different and unique plays with a Cambrian audience,” says Paulsen. 

In particular, Paulsen is looking forward to playing within that element of truth, art, and what it means to look at history from the stage. “We’ve done history plays and Oscar Wilde plays, but now we’re actually going to learn a little bit more about the man and what happened to him,” says Paulsen. “He was on top of the world before this, with multiple plays playing at different venues, and then this happened and ruined his life. To see that fall from grace is pretty spectacular.”

See Gross Indecency: The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde at Cambrian Players Theatre (818 Spring Street) on January 17. Visit cambrianplayers.com for more info.

Taylor Onski

Whether as an actor, crew member, or writer covering local productions, Taylor deeply values the magic of theatre. A part of the local theatre scene since age 12, Taylor essentially grew up on Thunder Bay stages. So when the opportunity came to combine her love of theatre and writing with The Walleye, she leapt at the chance to talk to talented theatre artists around town (many of whom she’s honoured to call friends).

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