Photos: First look at Curtain Players’ GROSS INDECENCY: THE THREE TRIALS OF OSCAR WILDE

In early 1895, the Marquess of Queensberry, the father of Wilde's young lover, Lord Alfred Douglas, left a card at Wilde's club bearing the phrase "posing sodomite." Wilde sued the Marquess for criminal libel. The defense denounced Wilde's art and literature as immoral, leading the prosecuting attorney to declare, "It would appear that what is on trial is not Lord Queensberry but Mr. Wilde's art!" 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. A second trial ended in a hung jury with Wilde's impassioned defense of "the love that dare not speak its name," prompting a third trial. In the third and decisive trial, Wilde was convicted and sentenced to two years imprisonment at hard labor. He was separated forever from his wife and children, and wrote very little for the rest of his life. In addition to Wilde, Douglas and Queensberry, characters ranging from Queen Victoria to London's rent boys, to a present-day academic are assembled to explore how history is made and how it can be so timely revisited in the theatre.

Written by Moises Kauffman, Directed by Sarah Merkey, Stage Manager  Wendy Brinker, Cast: Cory Baker (Frank Harris), Ingrid Biederman (Constance, Narrator #7), Doug Browell (Marquess of Queensbury), Jennifer Chimbidis (Narrator #6, Prostitute, Mrs. Ellen Grant), Kelsey Demel (Charles Gil), Lynn Eitam (Speranza, Clerk of the Arraignments #1 & #2), Allison Fagan (Frank Lockwood, Queen Victoria), Ro Frazee (Narrator #4, Landlord), Patrick Goldman (Edward Carson), Brian Henry (Professor Taylor), Jeff Kemeter (Narrator #5, Wright, Claridge), Daniel Keyes (Alfred Wood), Joel Mamlin (Fred Atkins), Chelsea Martins (Moises Kaufman), Jim McCullough (George Bernard Shaw, Willie, Antonio Migge), Alex Motsinger (Foreman #1, William Parker), Nicholas Norton (Charles Parker), Alex Nyamohanga (Narrator #3, Hotel Manager), Oliver Powell (Lord Alfred Douglas (Bosie)), Aaron Schrein (Richards, Auctioneer, Foreman #2), Kris "Frisk" Stage (Narrator #1, Mavor, Thomas Price), David Tull (Oscar Wilde), Molly Watson (Judge, Narrator #8), Phil Wells (Sir Edward Clarke), & Bailey Weyand (Narrator #2, Mary Applegate)

Performances run Jan. 30, 31, Feb. 6, 7, 13, & 14, 2026 at 8:00PM Feb. 8 & 15, 2026 at 2:00PM at Curtain Players, 5691 Harlem Road, Galena, Ohio,  43021.  For more information or to purchase tickets, visit:  http://curtainplayers.org

Check out the first look below!

Photo Credit: Jerri Shafer