The play, one of Shakespeare’s lighter works, is scheduled to play through October
By Lucie K. Scheuer for the Rogue Valley Times
“The Merry Wives of Windsor” by William Shakespeare has opened in the Allen Elizabethan Theatre at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, replete with a biker gang, a dance club, a rubber chicken, a deer antler hat and about as much chicanery as in the “Real Housewives of Beverly Hills,” only it’s more comedy than drama. Thankfully, the Kardashians aren’t in it either.
And you know what? Like a number of productions on the OSF stages this year, it’s eclectic, entertaining and imaginatively presented by a studied cast. There’s also a lot of shouting (not sure if this is due to outdoor acoustics), a lot of dialog, (might be a good idea for you to familiarize yourself with the story first) and it’s long.
This is one of Shakespeare’s lighter works. Indeed, at times, there are moments when one wonders if he had much to do with it at all, until you hear that marvelous phrasing “Better three hours too soon than a minute too late,” and you know it is indeed, he. (Unless of course you subscribe to the idea that the plays have more than one author.)
The play takes place in the town of Windsor outside London. Yes, the same Windsor that contains the famous castle. It’s one of his few plays that does not focus on the aristocracy or the crown, but rather the goings on of upper middle-class folks in a village where the townspeople know and engage with each other.
“Merry Wives” features the antics of Sir John Falstaff, an aging, penurious knight who decides to restore his fortune by wooing the two wives of some wealthy nobleman. Falstaff has his page deliver identical love letters to the two women, after his servants refuse to. He then fires them.
Unbeknownst to Falstaff, however, Pistol and Nym, the former servants, reveal Falstaff’s plan to the two wives. The wives decide to turn the tables through a series of hijinks that land Falstaff in a laundry hamper, the Thames and in a few other embarrassing situations.
The character Falstaff makes his way through three of Will’s plays. You can understand why he’s in this one. Consistent with his character, he’s a rebel, hard-drinking, womanizing and somewhat of a buffoon. He’s kind of like that jolly, obnoxious but fascinating uncle you used to invite to family get-togethers because he tells great stories and provides some comic relief.
Daniel T. Parker plays Falstaff. He matches the character really well. He’s boisterous, belligerent, bawdy, and in some ways, endearing — the perfect character to insult the sensibilities of any number of British classes. Although they elicit some laughs, Parker could tone down some repetitive, exaggerated movements involving his nether region. The production is, after all, rated PG-13.
The townspeople’s costumes by Susan Tsu are boho, colorful, multi-patterned and could have been inspired by the musical “Godspell.” Sort of post-hippie circa 1972-’73. As there is not a lot of heavy set design on the Elizabethan stage this year (with the exception of an impressive pillar with a ram atop it, possibly a heraldry symbol), Tsu’s costumes provide the dazzle and color that make this production pop.
Terri McMahon’s direction captures the uniqueness of the people who inhabit Windsor, with all their quirks and eccentricities. For instance, there’s a group of young suitors vying for the favors of Anne Page, intelligently played by Katie Anvil Rich, an ingénue and daughter of merry wife, Mrs. Margaret Page. McMahon has them performing so naturally, they could have just been dropped off after a frat party at UCLA. The young suitors are: Jonathan Luke Stevens as Abraham Slender; William Thomas Hodgson as Dr. Caius; and Ellen Soraya Nikbakht as Master Fenton.
This is a Shakespeare play where the women get to shine. We feel so comfortable with the wives, Royer Bockus as Mrs. Margaret Page and Amy Kim Waschke (who really stood out as Beatrice in “Much Ado” last season) as Mrs. Alice Ford. More importantly they are comfortable playing off each other.
In the program, McMahon describes the merry wives as, “… warm, fun, generous, smart, clever, ribald, unafraid.” She might be describing women today. That’s a good enough reason to go experience it.
Performances of “The Merry Wives of Windsor” at Oregon Shakespeare Festival, 15 S. Pioneer St., Ashland, are scheduled to run through Oct. 12, in the Allen Elizabethan Theatre. Tickets start at $36; group discounts available. Showtimes, ticket prices and information are available at osfashland.org or call 800-219-8161.
Reach Ashland-based writer Lucie K. Scheuer at [email protected]. This review first appeared in the Rogue Valley Times.
