THE MERRY WIVES OF WINDSOR Comes to ActorsNET

ActorsNET finishes its 26th season with a 1960s sitcom reboot of The Merry Wives of Windsor by William Shakespeare, a bright and breezy comedy of sexual jealousy and overbearing egos set against a landscape of summer resort leisure and the “dirty dancing” music trend. 

The play follows Shakespeare’s well-known old scoundrel, John “Sinjin” Falstaff (played by Rupert Hinton), who has become a nightclub entertainer, headlining at the Garter Restaurant in the Windsor Resort. Down on his luck, Falstaff schemes to seduce the titular merry wives, Mrs. Alice Ford (Cat Miller) and Mrs. Margaret Page (Shelli Pentimall Bookler), in an attempt to restore his fortunes. He sends them identical love letters, but his double-dealing ruse is discovered, and the two ladies are determined to teach him a lesson… or two… or three.

Meanwhile, the irrationally jealous Frank Ford (Joseph Torsella) has heard of Falstaff’s plan and decides to test his wife’s fidelity with some help from George Page (Greg Davis) and other Resort guests. In a subplot of young love, the Pages’ daughter, Anne “Goodbody” Page (Sarah Jane Zawodniak), is pursued by three suitors - Abraham Slender (Tyler Eisenacher), Doctor Caius (George Agalias), and young Fenton (Thomas Wick) - each of whom is paying the doctor’s receptionist, Nell Quickly (Lorie Baldwin), to push their cause.

There is much mayhem, dodgy disguises, misdirected letters, a “duel” and a midnight denouement, before the tangle is unraveled, the men-behaving-badly get their comeuppance, and the good prevails.

George Hartpence, the play’s director, notes that The Merry Wives of Windsor is a farce and one of the very few Shakespearean plays about normal middle-class folks who are behaving badly, and then get their just dessert. “It’s about action, not about the deep questions that keep people up at night. These are characters who just seem to bump into each other and bounce off each other — so that by the end, hopefully they learn something,” says Hartpence.

“Our cast and crew really brought this 1602 comedy into the 1960s. From the costumes that perfectly suit the personalities of the characters, such as Mrs. Page’s youthful polka dot dress, to the energetic music pieces and choreography that make you feel like participating in the talent show from Dirty Dancing - it will certainly be a blast from the past for some of our audience members,” says the producer, Karolina Matyka.    

The Merry Wives of Windsor is directed by George Hartpence with Carol Thompson as assistant director.  The show stars Rupert Hinton as John “Sinjin” Falstaff, Cat Miller and Joseph Torsella as Mrs. Alice Ford and Mr. Frank Ford, Shelli Pentimall Bookler and Greg Davis as Mrs. Margaret Page and Mr. George Page, Sarah Jane Zawodniak as Miss Anne Page, Ed Patton as Justice Robert Shallow, Barney Stone as Rabbi Saul Reichberg, Tyler Eisenacher as Abraham Slender, Barry Leonard as Bardolph, Lester Holmes as Nym, Ronald Pae as Pistol, Hans Peters as Peter Simple and Robert, Ellen Wisnosky as Hostess of the Garter, Lindsay Perr as Robin, Lorie Baldwin as Nell Quickly, James Cordingley as Jack Rugby, George Agalias as Doctor Caius, Thomas Wick as Fenton, and Richard Conte as John.  Theresa Vassallo stage manages with assistance of Barry Leonard. 

The Merry Wives of Windsor runs from June 9 to June 25 at the Heritage Center Theatre, located at 635 North Delmorr Avenue, Morrisville – near the Calhoun Street Bridge.  Show times are Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m.  Doors open one half hour before show time.