Photos: First Look at Free Shakespeare in the Park's MERRY WIVES

The cast includes Abena (Anne Page), Shola Adewusi (Mama Quickly), Gbenga Akinnagbe (Mister Nduka Ford) and more.

By: Jul. 15, 2021

Free Shakespeare in the Park's production of MERRY WIVES at The Delacorte Theater will run through Saturday, September 18, with an official opening on Tuesday, July 27. The play is adapted by Jocelyn Bioh and directed by Saheem Ali.

Check out photos below!

The all-Black cast of MERRY WIVES includes Abena (Anne Page), Shola Adewusi (Mama Quickly), Gbenga Akinnagbe (Mister Nduka Ford), Pascale Armand (Madam Ekua Page), Mayaa Boateng (Fenton/Simple), Phillip James Brannon (Pastor Evans), Brandon E. Burton (Ensemble), Joshua Echebiri (Slender/Pistol), Branden Lindsay (Ensemble), Ebony Marshall-Oliver (Ensemble), Jarvis D. Matthews (Ensemble), Jacob Ming-Trent (Falstaff), Jennifer Mogbock (Ensemble), Julian Rozzell Jr. (Shallow), Kyle Scatliffe (Mister Kwame Page), David Ryan Smith (Doctor Caius), and Susan Kelechi Watson (Madam Nkechi Ford).

Set in South Harlem, amidst a vibrant and eclectic community of West African immigrants, MERRY WIVES is a New York story about tricks of the heart, performed in the heart of the City-Central Park's magical Delacorte Theater. A raucous spinoff featuring the Bard's most beloved comic characters, this hilarious farce tells the story of the trickster Falstaff and the wily wives who outwit him in a new celebration of Black joy, laughter, and vitality.

MERRY WIVES will feature scenic design by Beowulf Boritt; costume design by Dede Ayite; lighting design by Jiyoun Chang; co-sound design by Kai Harada and Palmer Hefferan; hair, wigs, and makeup design by Cookie Jordan; original music by Michael Thurber; original drum compositions by Farai Malianga; fight direction by Rocío Mendez; choreography by Darrell Grand Moultrie; and sound system design by Jessica Paz. Narda E. Alcorn will serve as Production Stage Manager.

For more information visit: https://publictheater.org/

Photo credit: Joan Marcus

Photos: First Look at Free Shakespeare in the Park's MERRY WIVES
The Company

Photos: First Look at Free Shakespeare in the Park's MERRY WIVES
Pascale Armand and Susan Kelechi Watson

Photos: First Look at Free Shakespeare in the Park's MERRY WIVES
Jacob Ming-Trent and Joshua Echebiri

Photos: First Look at Free Shakespeare in the Park's MERRY WIVES
Phillip James Brannon, Kyle Scatliffe, and David Ryan Smith

Photos: First Look at Free Shakespeare in the Park's MERRY WIVES
Jacob Ming-Trent and Susan Kelechi Watson

Photos: First Look at Free Shakespeare in the Park's MERRY WIVES
Mayaa Boateng and Abena

Photos: First Look at Free Shakespeare in the Park's MERRY WIVES
David Ryan Smith and Shola Adewusi

Photos: First Look at Free Shakespeare in the Park's MERRY WIVES
Kyle Scatliffe and Gbenga Akinnagbe

Photos: First Look at Free Shakespeare in the Park's MERRY WIVES
Jacob Ming-Trent

Photos: First Look at Free Shakespeare in the Park's MERRY WIVES
Susan Kelechi Watson and Pascale Armand

Photos: First Look at Free Shakespeare in the Park's MERRY WIVES
Abena and Joshua Echebiri

Photos: First Look at Free Shakespeare in the Park's MERRY WIVES
Pascale Armand, Julian Rozzell Jr., David Ryan Smith, Susan Kelechi Watson, and Phillip James Brannon

Photos: First Look at Free Shakespeare in the Park's MERRY WIVES
Farai Malianga

Photos: First Look at Free Shakespeare in the Park's MERRY WIVES
Julian Rozzell Jr., Phillip James Brannon, and Joshua Echebiri



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