Welcome to Famous Trials, the Web’s largest and most visited collection of original essays, trial transcripts and exhibits, maps, images, and other materials relating to the greatest trials in world history. Tonight is the closing night of my current show: Gross Indecency: The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde. Share this: Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window) The trial ended with the jury unable to reach a verdict. I like to say that Oscar Wilde was the first performance artist. This infamous phrase and its related amendment were used against Oscar Wilde and gave title to this play. This moment is Michael Emerson and Moises Kaufman on Gross Indecency: The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde, 1997 Gross Indecency explores the true story of Oscar Wilde’s court trials for the crime of the same name - the consequences of which would eventually come to define the rest of his life. Buy Gross Indecency: The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde by Kaufman, Moises (ISBN: 9780375702327) from Amazon's Book Store. Michael Emerson (“Lost,” “Person of Interest”) will play Wilde at the reading on Oct. 5, at the Gerald W. Lynch Theater. As a social commentary, it's unforgettable, maybe even life-changing. His most acclaimed plays include Salome and The Importance of Being Earnest, though he is perhaps best known today for his 1890 novel The Picture of Dorian Gray. Oscar Wilde was tried for homosexuality on April 26, 1895. And yet, Moises Kauffman s latest play Gross Indecency: The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde manages to turn the relatively familiar material the trials and indictment of the legendary Wilde on charges of sodomy and pederasty into a riveting and powerful document against social determinism. (212)420-8800 Re-Opening 6/05/97 Note: Initial short run at Greenwich House 2/27-3/23 Extended twice but had to close 5/05 Like his most famous work, “The Laramie Project,’’ playwright Moises Kaufman’s “Gross Indecency: The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde,’’ first performed in New York in 1997, is built on source materials: quotations from memoirs, trial transcripts, newspaper reports, and Wilde’s own work, layered together to create a sometimes gripping courtroom drama. Wilde had a relationship with Lord Alfred Douglas, a younger man, whose father wanted it to end. His flamboyant dress, cutting wit and eccentric lifestyle often put him at odds with the social norms of Victorian England. Wilde was later transferred to London’s Reading Gaol, where he remained until his release in 1897. He has directed extensively on Broadway and Internationally, and is the author of numerous plays, including Gross Indecency: The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde and 33 Variations. He was a man who chose to live his life with passion. Libel Case Against the Marquess of Queensberry. And in trying to define his own world in his own terms, he came up against a society that found him truly subversive. "Gross Indecency: The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde traces Wilde's downfall" by Sheila Barth This review is a review of Bad Habit Productions' August 2012 production. Gross Indecency touches on a multitude of themes, from the subversive nature of art and changing strictures on homosexuality to the legacy of Victorian Puritanism and "morality" as a sort of shared public hypocricy. The reviewer especially notes the directors quick time and pacing in keeping the show moving and on its feet. The main issue dealt with in this show is, of course, homosexuality (or as they refer to it, "gross indecency"). Moisés Kaufman is a Tony and Emmy-nominated director and playwright. This moment is It’s an ensemble piece in the truest sense. Keeping his homosexuality a secret at first, Milk became more openly gay through his exposure to New York City’s bohemian theater scene. The play's, and the trial's, climactic moment. Edward Carson, someone Wilde knew from Trinity College What was Wilde arrested and charged with on April 5? Director Moises Kaufman shaped a sharply intelligent, dramatically fresh take on a subject that would seem to have been exhausted. Gross Indecency: The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde (1997) is a play written and directed by Moisés Kaufman. Reviews (Excerpts) (France had decriminalized homosexuality in 1791 during the French Revolution.). Libel charges on April 3, 1895 Who defended Queensberry? During the trial, Queensberry’s defense accused Wilde of soliciting 12 other young men to commit sodomy. Friends again urged Wilde to flee to France, but he decided to stay and stand trial. Skit 3 Notice the fast-paced dialogue -- how Oscar is lulled into giving rhythmic answers to rhythmic questioning. Now it has finally arrived. The first English law against homosexual acts was passed in 1533, with the punishment of death! The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde Transforming trhee court transcripts, newspaper accounts, various letters and telegrams to say nothing of epigrams into one of the most riveting and theatrical pieces of theater currently on the boards, writer-director Moises Kaufman announces himself with “Gross Indecency: Premier Logo Created with Sketch. He left a calling card for Wilde with the porter at the private Albemarle Club in London. His trial and punishment is the subject of the 1997 play Gross Indecency: The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde. He left a calling card for Wilde with the porter at the private Albemarle Club in London. The play is set in 1895 and concerns the three trials that were the cause of Oscar Wilde's downfall and which led to him being sentenced to 2 years hard labour in Reading Gaol for 'Gross Indecency… Oscar Chokes "He was, unfortunately, extremely ugly" (Kaufman 56). "use strict";(function(){var insertion=document.getElementById("citation-access-date");var date=new Date().toLocaleDateString(undefined,{month:"long",day:"numeric",year:"numeric"});insertion.parentElement.replaceChild(document.createTextNode(date),insertion)})(); FACT CHECK: We strive for accuracy and fairness. Gross Indecency: The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde A Vintage original: Author: Moisés Kaufman: Contributor: New York Public Library. A second trial ended in a hung jury with Wilde’s impassioned defense of “the love that dare not speak its name,” prompting a … He spent the last three years of his life living in exile in France, where he composed his last work The Ballad of Reading Gaol, about an execution that took place while he was imprisoned there. (The remnants of one of mine are seen here.) The card read: “For Oscar Wilde, posing somdomite [sic].”. The play, written by Moises Kaufman, is a docu-drama combining histories, memoirs, biographies and Oscar Wilde’s own writings with newspaper and tabloid articles of the day to transport audiences to the trials of the 19th Century. The trial went poorly for Oscar Wilde. The authorities saw this as a sign of implied guilt and issued a warrant for Wilde’s arrest on indecency charges. Performances. We've been waiting for a great Oscar Wilde drama to be written. This play covers three trials involving Oscar Wilde - the first was a libel suit brought by Wilde against the Marquess of Queensberry (the one who came up with the boxing rules), who was the father of Wilde's lover, Lord Alfred Douglas; the second was brought against Wilde for "gross indecency with male persons" and ended in a mistrial for a hung jury; the third was the retrial and ended with a guilty verdict and a … The Marquess of Queensberry Bosie's father who found out about his relationship with Wilde and set out to end it What did Wilde file against Bosie's father? The Tragedy of Oscar Wilde: Sex, Lies, and a Sealed Fate, Letters from Oscar Wilde to Lord Alfred Douglas, Queensberry on the subject of Oscar Wilde, Transcript of the Libel Trial Prosecuted by Oscar Wilde (April 3-5,1895), The Criminal Trials of Oscar Wilde: Transcript Excerpts, Gross Indecency: The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde, The Trials of Oscar Wilde: Selected Images, Links to Sites Relating to the Trials of Oscar Wilde. The Scopes Trial, also known as the Scopes Monkey Trial, was the 1925 prosecution of science teacher John Scopes for teaching evolution in a Tennessee public school, which a recent bill had made illegal. Kaufman's play make it evident that Wilde's writings were as much on trial as the man's conduct. Wilde sued him for libel. Oscar Wilde was charged and convicted of gross indecency in 1895. Registration is now open Moisés Kaufman’s work in arranging sources on Oscar Wilde into a complete piece offers an almost voyeuristic look into what was claimed to be the “Trial of the Century.” “Gross Indecency—The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde” by Moises Kaufman is a fast-paced tragic courtroom drama focused on the acclaimed Irish poet and playwright and his relationships with male partners, specifically Lord Alfred Douglas. Michael Emerson and Moises Kaufman on Gross Indecency: The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde, 1997 After a rave review by Ben Brantley of The New York Times, it sold out and the run was extended. Wilde kept his homosexuality a secret. After three days of court proceedings, Wilde’s lawyer withdrew the lawsuit. On May 25, 1895, Oscar Wilde was taken to prison. Gross Indecency: The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde premiered Off-Broadway on February 27, 1997 at the Greenwich House. a photo from the original production, hopefully to be replaced by one from Rider University’s! In the novel, an older artist is attracted to the beauty of a younger man whose portrait he paints. Access Free Gross Indecency The Three Trials Of Oscar Wilde The Permanent Way Lotte Jones, a doll repair expert, needs a vacation. The Center for the Fine and Performing Arts at Seminole State College will perform “Gross Indecency: The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde” during the month of February. Gross Indecency: The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde | The Longwood Players Lord Alfred married, had children, became a Catholic and a Nazi sympathizer. Nine actors creating over fifty characters. Moises Kaufman makes Oscar Wilde come to life and defend himself in the trials for Gross Indecency he was subjected to in Victorian England. I like to say that Oscar Wilde was the first performance artist. Tonight is the closing night of my current show: Gross Indecency: The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde. After a rave review by Ben Brantley of The New York Times, it sold out and the run was extended. It's all downhill from here on out. Gross indecency : the three trials of Oscar Wilde by Kaufman, Mois{acute}es; Kushner, Tony. The play Gross Indecency: The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde, performed at Rider University’s Yvonne Theater this past weekend, puts the choices and moral preferences of Oscar Wilde on the line. By the early 1890s he had become one of London’s most popular playwrights. Gross Indecency: The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde Minetta Lane Theater, New York; 374 seats; $45 top In February of 1895, the playwright Oscar Wilde (1854-1900) continued an astonishing run of theatrical success with the opening of his artistic masterpiece, The Importance of Being Earnest. The ruling was a culmination of decades of struggles, setbacks and victories along the road ...read more, The Stonewall Riots, also called the Stonewall Uprising, began in the early hours of June 28, 1969 when New York City police raided the Stonewall Inn, a gay club located in Greenwich Village in New York City. Only three more chances to see it! It's pointless.... Kaufman's achievement is to make history immediate and Wilde's dilemma plangent....Kaufman links Wilde's choice of a lover too selfish to value him to his choosing a fate that will destroy him. G. Gone Missing (musical) The Great Game: Afghanistan; Gross Indecency: The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde Douglas’ father, the Marquess of Queensberry, was outraged by the relationship and sought to expose Wilde. Oscar Wilde died on November 30, 1900, at the age of 46. This also resulted in connecting homosexuality with effeminacy, the … Performances. But that was the source of his tragedy--that he tried to turn morality into art during an age that preferred art to be an extension of morality. From this moment it was heavily reviewed in newspapers and other journals (Upchurch 1-2). Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. Gross Indecency: The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde premiered Off-Broadway on February 27, 1997 at the Greenwich House. During the trial, Wilde was questioned extensively about “the love that dare not speak its name,” a phrase from Lord Alfred Douglas’ poem “Two Loves,” published in 1894, that many interpreted as a euphemism for homosexuality. In the end, this remarkable work testifies to the courage it takes to invent a life and live it to the fullest. The play in question, Moisés Kaufman’s “Gross Indecency: The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde,” is a dramatization of court transcripts from the 1895 prosecutions of Wilde, who was accused of sexual relations with men. In the absolutely gripping GROSS INDECENCY: THE THREE TRIALS OF OSCAR WILDE, written and directed with a scintillating style of its own by Moisés Kaufman, that moment is identified with such startling precision and clarity that it feels like the inexorable moment of reversal in a … The play's, and the trial's, climactic moment. “Famous Trials” first appeared on the Web in 1995, making this site older than about 99.97% of all websites. Gross Indecency: The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde presented by Promethean Theatre Ensemble will be at Strawdog Theatre, 1802 W. Berenice, until March 23, with tickets ranging from $15-$30. Three weeks later, Wilde was retried. Prisoners spent hours untwisting and teasing apart recycled ropes to obtain the fibers used in making oakum. He took the Marquess to court for criminal libel. GROSS INDECENCY - THE THREE TRIALS OF OSCAR WILDE A Review of Moisés Kaufman's Play by Sandra F. Siegel From the time of its inception last March in New York at The Greenwich House, a small theatre that seats two hundred, the spirited all male cast, directed by Moisés Kaufman, who also wrote Gross Indecency , played to enthusiastic audiences. It ran there until May 5 and then transferred to the commercial Minetta Lane Theatre, also Off-Broadway, opening in June 1997. It's all downhill from here on out. This caused a public relations nightmare for Wilde. Under the guise of a fop with a green carnation on his lapel, Wilde was--and remains to this day--a veritable revolutionary, defying traditional authority, inverting accepted values and spurning convention's dreary ways. Wilde’s health suffered in prison and continued to decline after his release. Gross Indecency: The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde Written and directed by Moisés S. Kaufman With Michael Emerson as Oscar Wilde Bill Dawes as Sir Alfred Douglas And 7 other actors in multiple roles Minetta Lane, 18 Minetta Lane. Buy Gross Indecency (Methuen drama): The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde (Modern Plays) by Kaufman, Moises, Kauffman, Moises (ISBN: 9780413771704) from Amazon's Book Store. Gross Indecency manages to turn relatively familiar material--the trials and imprisonment of Wilde on charges of sodomy and pederasty--into a damning indictment of the way that government tries to regulate our private lives.... Wilde didn't believe in separating his erotic longings from the aesthetic side of his life. Homosexuality was a criminal offense at this time in England. In Gross Indecency playwright and director Moises Kaufman has dramatized [Wilde's] fall with the sort of rapier stylization that Wilde himself would have admired....It's dazzling coup de theatre, at once compelling history and chilling human drama. It now criminalized of anyone even associated with acts of "gross indecency," the phrase used then on to describe any aspect of homosexuality. Oscar Wilde was a proponent of the Aesthetic Movement in art and literature, which suggested these forms should focus on beauty rather than trying to convey a moral or political message. Oscar Wilde’s Sex and Censorship Trial Still Resonates “Gross Indecency—The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde” by Moises Kaufman is a fast-paced tragic courtroom drama focused on the acclaimed Irish poet and playwright and his relationships with male partners, specifically Lord Alfred Douglas. Wilde kept his homosexuality a secret. While England's Victorian era was remarkable it its level of restraint and focus on formality, homosexual prejudice was not something new. He is the co-founder and artistic director of Tectonic Theater Project. Kaufman&;s plays Gross Indecency: The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde, and The Laramie Project (which he co-wrote with the members of Tectonic Theater) have been among the most performed plays in America … Directed by Rick Mokler, Scenic and Lighting Design by Charles Thomson Garey, Costume Design by Janet Freeman, Production Stage Manager - Stacie Manifold. He pleaded not guilty on 25 counts of gross indecency. Oscar Wilde was a playwright, novelist, poet and celebrity in late nineteenth century London. In 2016, the site seemed to be showing its age. After moving to San ...read more, In the landmark 2015 case Obergefell v. Hodges, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that all state bans on same-sex marriage were unconstitutional, making gay marriage legal throughout America. He is the co-founder and artistic director of Tectonic Theater Project. The Victorians lived lives of restraint, focusing on only doing what was proper (at least publicly). He bucked tight-laced Victorian fashion by wearing colorful velvets and silks and keeping his hair long. The perversion pumping through Gross Indecency is not homosexuality, but Wilde's refusal to save himself. The play Gross Indecency: The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde, performed at Rider University’s Yvonne Theater this past weekend, puts the choices and moral preferences of Oscar Wilde on the line. Kaufman contemplates the lengths people think they have to go to get love, love that feels like a devotion to the other but gets played out more like devotion to devotion--or frustration....Having cobbled up the piece from an array of bios, court documents, and historical accounts, Kaufman sets up a panel of actors to flash the quoted material. At a preliminary bail hearing, hotel chambermaids and a housekeeper had testified that they had seen young men in Wilde’s bed and found fecal stains on his sheets. Moisés Kaufman is a Tony and Emmy-nominated director and playwright. It’s an ensemble piece in the truest sense. Gross Indecency: The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde began performances at the Greenwich House Theater in New York City on February 27, 1997. His assertion that there are no immoral books, only badly written ones, is precisely the sort of thinking that enrages opponents of the National Endowment for the Arts today. © 2021 A&E Television Networks, LLC. (The remnants of one of mine are seen here.) The card read: “For Oscar Wilde, posing somdomite [sic].” Thi… Title: GROSS INDECENCY: THE THREE TRIALS OF OSCAR WILDE Description: SBCC Theatre Group presents GROSS INDECENCY: THE THREE TRIALS OF OSCAR WILDE, by Moises Kaufman, October 11-28, 2000, Garvin Theatre. Wilde, a homosexual, was put on trial for gross indecency in 1895 after the details of his affair with a British aristocrat were made public. Gross Indecency manages to turn relatively familiar material--the trials and imprisonment of Wilde on charges of sodomy and pederasty--into a damning indictment of the way that government tries to regulate our private lives.... Wilde didn't believe in separating his erotic longings from the aesthetic side of … The 28-year-old Illinois native was already known locally as “Wild Bill,” but there was little at the time to distinguish him from the ...read more. Gross Indecency: The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde. Wilde emerges as a man who doesn't feel guilty of public crimes but of private ones. It ran there until May 5 and then transferred to the commercial Minetta Lane Theatre, also Off-Broadway, opening in June 1997. Gross Indecency: The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde A Play by Moises Kaufman. Against their counsel, Wilde decided to sue the Marquess for defamation. The Center for the Fine and Performing Arts at Seminole State College will perform “Gross Indecency: The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde” during the month of February. Share this: Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window) in the course of guides you could enjoy now is Gross Indecency The Three Trials Of Oscar Wilde below. Oscar Chokes "He was, unfortunately, extremely ugly" (Kaufman 56). Gross Indecency: The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde began performances at the Greenwich House Theater in New York City on February 27, 1997. Three months later, he was imprisoned on charges of “gross indecency.” In this special St. Patrick’s Day episode, host Jacke Wilson takes a look at the career […] He was a man who chose to live his life with passion. Oscar Wilde (1854-1900); BBC. Alan Turing pleaded guilty to the crime in 1952, the consequences of which led to his suicide in 1954. He spent the first several months at London’s Pentonville Prison, where he was put to work picking oakum. Douglas’ father, the Marquess of Queensberry, was outraged by the relationship and sought to expose Wilde. Thus began a series of events which led to Wilde’s trials for “gross indecency.” Moisés Kaufman’s critically acclaimed off-Bway hit uses court transcripts, personal correspondence, interviews and other source materials to recreate the tragic fall of the once-reigning wit of London, Oscar Wilde. In the end Queensberry was acquitted, and evidence that had been gathered against Wilde compelled the Crown to prosecute him for “gross indecency with male persons.” With Wilde’s arrest, his hit plays running in London’s West End were forced to close, and Wilde was reduced to penury. And yet, Moises Kauffman s latest play Gross Indecency: The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde manages to turn the relatively familiar material the trials and indictment of the legendary Wilde on charges of sodomy and pederasty into a riveting and powerful document against social determinism. Moises Kaufman makes Oscar Wilde come to life and defend himself in the trials for Gross Indecency he was subjected to in Victorian England. His main problem was that Queensberry’s allegations about his homosexuality were true, and therefore couldn’t be judged defamatory. It was not until the trials of Oscar Wilde that the term and idea of classifying homosexuality came to light (Brady 40). While Emerson is the standout, the rest of the cast holds its own, from Dawes as the petulant, flirtatious Lord Alfred and Blumenfeld as the blustery Queensberry to the terrifically versatile ensemble of Narrators. Oscar Wilde began publishing poems as a college student at Dublin’s Trinity University in the 1870s. At a time in our own country's life when art and morality seem to clash on a regular basis, Wilde's persecution no longer registers as just an historical aberration. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. Subscribe for fascinating stories connecting the past to the present. Founded in 1920, their stated mission is “to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties ...read more, James Butler Hickok arrived in Springfield, Missouri, in the summer of 1865, fresh off a stint as Union scout and spy during the Civil War. Use the discount code "Wilde" on Brown Paper Tickets or say "I'm Wilde about Oscar..." when you make your reservations at 818-508-3003 for … And in trying to define his own world in his own terms, he came up against a society that found him truly subversive. The trial featured two of the best-known orators of the era, William ...read more, Held for the purpose of bringing Nazi war criminals to justice, the Nuremberg trials were a series of 13 trials carried out in Nuremberg, Germany, between 1945 and 1949. One of the powerful things about this play is the way it subtly suggests that such constraints are not confined to the Victorian age....Even in our more permissive time, when what Wilde called "the love that dare not speak its name" has grown a little hoarse from shouting it, the Puritan impulse to impose its prohibitionist will on the private lives of citizens remains as insistent as ever. “Famous Trials” first appeared on the Web in 1995, making this site older than about 99.97% of all websites. GROSS INDECENCY - THE THREE TRIALS OF OSCAR WILDE A Review of Moisés Kaufman's Play by Sandra F. Siegel From the time of its inception last March in New York at The Greenwich House, a small theatre that seats two hundred, the spirited all male cast, directed by Moisés Kaufman, who also wrote Gross Indecency , played to enthusiastic audiences. Gross Indecency: The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde se estrenó off-Broadway el 27 de febrero de 1997 en la Greenwich House de Nueva York. In this work of the theater - a smash hit Off Broadway - Moises Kaufman turns the trials of Oscar Wilde into a riveting human and intellectual drama. This time, Wilde was convicted of gross indecency and received two years of hard labor, the maximum sentence allowed for the crime. Homosexual acts were a criminal offense in England at the time and remained illegal there until the 1960s. Friends who knew of Wilde’s sexual orientation urged him to flee to France until the storm subsided. It is your definitely own mature to take action reviewing habit. He later moved from Ireland to England and studied at Oxford. All Rights Reserved. Gross Indecency: The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde presented by Promethean Theatre Ensemble will be at Strawdog Theatre, 1802 W. Berenice, until March 23, with tickets ranging from $15-$30. He was buried in Paris. The script, sharp, intelligent, and dramatic, draws on the original trial transcriopts, as well as letters, newspapers, plays, novels, poetry, epigrams and biographies written by Wilde and his contemporaries, including Sir Edward Clarke, Frank Harris, Lord Alfred Douglas and George Bernard Shaw. This is as much a multilevel study in public perception of class, art and sexuality as a portrait of one man's downfall, yet it retains the pull of old-fashioned courtroom drama. https://www.history.com/topics/gay-rights/oscar-wilde-trial. Like his most famous work, “The Laramie Project,’’ playwright Moises Kaufman’s “Gross Indecency: The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde,’’ first performed in New York in 1997, is built on source materials: quotations from memoirs, trial transcripts, newspaper reports, and Wilde’s own work, layered together to create a sometimes gripping courtroom drama. But in 1891, Wilde began an affair with Lord Alfred Douglas, a young British poet and aristocrat 16 years his junior. In 2016, the site seemed to be showing its age. Following a failed private prosecution for criminal libel that Wilde brought against Douglas's father, the Marquess of Queensberry for statements he had made accusing Wilde of sodomy, Wilde was charged with "committing acts of gross indecency with other male persons". Gross Indecency: The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde by Moisés Kaufman will be presented as a remote, live performance hosted on Zoom Webinar March 4–6 at 7:30 p.m. But if you see something that doesn't look right, click here to contact us! The blackmailer and the sodomite: Oscar Wilde on trial; Feminist Theory. Gross Indecency: The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde es va estrenar off-Broadway el 27 de febrer de 1997 en la Greenwich House de Nova York. are selling fast for the last weekend of "Gross Indecency, the Three Trials of Oscar Wilde". This play...deftly tells the story of a great artist with the inevitability and much of the monumentality of a Greek tragedy....As courtroom drama, it's thrilling. Oscar Wilde’s Sex and Censorship Trial Still Resonates. She books herself on a cultural tour for The defense also questioned Wilde about the premise of his controversial 1890 novel The Picture of Dorian Gray, suggesting that Wilde had used the novel’s homoerotic themes to seduce Lord Alfred. Kaufman’s plays Gross Indecency: The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde, and The Laramie Project (which he co-wrote with the members of Tectonic Theater) have been among the most performed plays in America over the last decade. --Moises Kaufman. --Moises Kaufman. The play's indictments, blurry stain of guilt and redemptive power reach well beyond Wilde by evening's end. Expertly interweaving courtroom testimony with excerpts from Wilde's writings and the words of his contemporaries, Gross Indecency unveils its subject in all his genius and human frailty, his age in all its complacency and repression. Oscar Wilde Oscar Fingal O'Flahertie Wills Wilde was an Irish poet, playwright, and a proudly gay man born on … He married and had two sons. But in 1891, Wilde began an affair with Lord Alfred Douglas, a young British poet and aristocrat 16 years his junior. Nine actors creating over fifty characters. The conflict between art and morality is the play's theme and subject matter. His most performed plays, and actually the most performed of the past decade, are The Laramie Project and Gross Indecency: The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde. Gross Indecency was Kaufman's first play and was a result of wanting his company to focus more on the issues of text.It was created from the transcripts of the trials of Oscar Wilde. 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