THE MERRY WIVES OF WINDSOR at Southwest Shakespeare Company

SOUTHWEST SHAKESPEARE TO PRESENT Shakespeare’s Most Hilarious Farce

The Merry Wives of Windsor by William Shakespeare set as a modern western.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE—Southwest Shakespeare Company will be performing a unique adaptation of The Merry Wives of Windsor, February 7- 22, 2026 at Mesa Arts Center. William Shakespeare's comedy has many themes of marriage and community that resonate with us today. This daring production brings the action of the play close to home; set in the modern Southwest trailer park, the cartoon buffoonery of Sir John Falstaff and his cadre of characters could be our friends and neighbors– the people we see every day.

“Shakespeare writes real and believable characters. His plays are for everyone, of every walk of life and I wanted to add an Arizona flavor to this one.” says Keath Hall, Southwest Shakespeare Company Artistic Director.

The Merry Wives of Windsor follows the exploits of Shakespeare’s notorious drunken knight, Sir John Falstaff. In this play he attempts to seduce and grift the two Merry Wives themselves, Mistress Ford and Mistress Page. Discovering his plot, the sharp and crafty wives lead him and a jealous husband on a wild goose chase. Along the way we are introduced to a bizarre community of townsfolk and a parade of suitors for the beautiful Anne Page. Will Anne marry her love or be forced into a convenient marriage for money? Shakespeare gives us a lot of twists and turns in this slapstick comedy featuring romance and music.

Public performances of the show will be presented at 7:30pm on February 7, 20, and 21, and at 2pm on February 7, 8, 14 and 22. There are special weekday matinees for student and senior living groups at 10am and 11am on February 10, 12 and 20.

The show will be directed by Keath Hall and features acting talents of Ryan Jenkins, Tahni Delong, Alex Urbom, David Lorello, Lamar Cravens, Aaron Blanco, Eric Mitchell, Daniel Jurado, Bonnie Romney, Seth Scott, Serena Poggi, Isaac Hammon, Mark Moorhead and Alex Bookish. Technical support for this hilarious play will be provided by extraordinary designers: Set Design by Tiana Torrilhin-Wood, Lighting Design by Stacey Walston, Sound & Media by Jacob Nichols, Costumes by Angee Lewandowski, Hair and Makeup by Juliana Jackson, Props and Set Dressings by Shelly Trujillo, and Music Direction by Bonnie Romney.

A Flachmann Seminar discussing both Henry V and The Merry Wives of Windsor will be presented Saturday February 7 at 9am at Mesa Arts Center, with a separate admission cost. This half-day seminar will be led by Dr. Susan Willis, who since 1985 has worked with the Alabama Shakespeare Festival as its resident dramaturg, a director on its MFA faculty, a public speaker, and author of study materials and program notes. Dr. Willis is also Professor Emerita of English at Auburn University at Montgomery. She holds degrees from Emory University and the University of Virginia and  has led Southwest Shakespeare’s Flachmann seminars since 2013. 

Show tickets range from $41.50-$71.50 with discounts for Seniors, Students and Educators. Mesa Arts Center is located in downtown Mesa at One East Main Street, Mesa. Tickets, more information and details are available at https://swshakespeare.org

Authors

• Robert Dennis
• Stanley Silverman
• William Shakespeare