Review: THE MERRY WIVES OF WINDSOR at Nichols Arboretum

The Merry Wives of Windsor began with a musical interlude from the company of the show, as well as one of the merry wives herself, Mistress Page, played by Nicole Arruda. The show was scheduled to perform at the Nichols Arboretum outdoor amphitheater. Still, due to inclement weather, the performance was moved inside to the Keene Theatre located on the University of Michigan's campus inside East Quad.

The production was shifted slightly to accommodate the new theatre. The house lights remained up throughout the entire performance, which was quite an interesting change. However, since the performance is usually held outside and there was no scheduled tech, the change made sense. I enjoyed the direction and adaptations of this performance of The Merry Wives of Windsor. The actors frequently entered through the audience and often broke the fourth wall, incorporating some impromptu crowd work.

The performance felt very immersive, as if the actors were performing just for me. The personal aspect of this performance made it enjoyable to be in the audience, and the specific blocking effectively emphasizes the comedic plot lines.

The performances in this show were so funny and well-timed that I genuinely got invested in the story. A Shakespearean comedy is not an easy feat to pull off. The extensive and complex dialogue is not only complicated to learn, but pairing it with the comedy in the show requires a precise and accomplished troupe of actors. My favorite performance was a tie between the two wives, Mistress Page, played by Nicole Arruda, and Mistress Ford, portrayed by Brittany Batell. Arruda and Batell had an explosive chemistry that was so entertaining throughout the production.

The two mastermind a scheme to teach Falstaff a lesson on why you should never mess with a powerful woman. Speaking of Falstaff, Rick Sperling had this audience in stitches the whole performance. One of the most challenging roles in Shakespeare's comedy is the role of the fool. Feste in Twelfth Night and Bottom in A Midsummer Night's Dream are some classic examples. I categorize Falstaff in this category because he is designed to be the fool in this show, while also receiving some enjoyable comedic scenes and sequences. It's easy for these characters to overdo the role and overplay the character.

This was not the case for Rick Sperling. He portrayed the character with just the right amount of foolishness, without being over the top. He often broke the fourth wall and motioned to the audience, which made the performance a delightful experience. 

The Merry Wives of Windsor had several featured characters that stuck out to me. Mistress Quickly, portrayed by Celah Convis, had an outstanding performance as the quick-talking(pun intended) and witty maid to the Doctor, trying to woo Anne Page. She played her role with a finesse that felt very natural and endearing. Her character would often advocate for different characters throughout the show and would tell each of them what they wanted to hear to gain information or compensation, and then use that to her advantage. I would compare her to the "town gossip" that everyone underestimates. She played it so well, I would have told her all my secrets! Her monologue while speaking with Falstaff was so well-performed. Another character who surprised me was Master Ford, played by Chris Grimm. He plays the overly jealous husband to Mistress Ford. When he hears Falstaff is attempting to seduce his wife, he goes undercover in disguise as Master Brook to learn of Falstaff's plan.

After he knows his plan, Ford delivers a soliloquy that is so beautifully performed with such poetic diction that my husband and I looked at each other and mouthed "wow" when he walked off the stage. Chris Grimm has a fabulous stage presence and played the jealous, yet loving husband, very well. One other performance I want to highlight is Nym, played by Tessa Hanrath. Although she portrayed several minor characters every time she entered the scene, she made her presence known in a complete way.

First, she played Nym (one of Falstaff's minions, if you will), and then switched to a maid in the Ford house. Both characters consistently brought joy and laughter to the stage when they appeared, and that is the most significant impact you can have on an audience.

As a former techie and Stage Manager, I have to shout out that the crew on this show crushed it on the last-minute theater change. They were bringing in as many chairs as the theatre would allow to accommodate as many guests as possible. I want to applaud their efforts. Additionally, I loved the variety of costumes available.

I surmised that costume director Meredith Miller intentionally dressed the couples and families in coordinating color schemes, and I appreciated the detail in that choice. Mistress and Master Page, along with their daughter Anne, wore mint green with gold accents. It was a slight foreshadowing that Fenton also wore mint green with gold and eventually married Anne. Mistress and Master Ford also wore coordinating costumes in maroon and gold colors. 

Although this performances for this production has ended, if you're interested in future tickets for the Arb, please click here. Tickets are available in advance of the performances through the Michigan Union Ticket Office online, in person at the Michigan Union, or by phone at (734) 763-8587.

Ticket prices are $25 for general admission, $20 for members, and $15 for students and youth. Youth under 5, free.