Shakespeare’s Merry Wives
Come and have fun with bawdy* Billy Shakespeare! The Merry Wives of Windsor will be presented April 9-18, 2010.
Performances will be:
April 9, 10, 16 & 17 at 7:30pm
Matinees Sundays, April 11 & 18 at 2pm
CCT's poster for Merry Wives of Windsor
A rarely seen Shakespearean comedy… with several fantastic female leads and the infamous comedic character John Falstaff best known from Shakespeare’s two history plays: Henry IV Part I and II.
Brief Summary:
The carousing Falstaff is in need of cash to support his self-indulgent habits. Knowing that upper middle class women control the finances and are generally eager for connections to the royal court, he comes to Windsor to woo the Merry Wives (Mistress Page and Ford.) Nym and Pistol, members of Falstaff’s rowdy entourage, refuse to help him in this immoral plot. In anger, Falstaff dismisses them. To get back at Falstaff they tell Master Page and Ford (the husbands) what Falstaff plans.
Meanwhile, Anne Page, Master and Mistress Page’s daughter, has suitors lining up for her hand. Justice Shallow and Sir Hugh Evans (the parson) wish for Shallow’s nephew, Slender, to marry Anne- with Master Page’s approval.
Dr. Caius, a physician of foreign descent, also wishes to marry Anne and is the suitor preferred by Mistress Page. Finally, the young Master Fenton is in love and hopes to marry Anne. Each of the suitors beseech Mistress Quickly (Dr. Caius’ housekeeper and Anne’s confidant) to plead his case. Mistress Quickly promises each in turn that she will praise the gentleman’s virtues as a potential husband. When Dr. Caius discovers that Sir Evans intends Slender to marry Anne, he challenges Evans to a duel- much to the amusement of the other townsfolk.
Falstaff sends identical love letters to both Mistress Ford and Mistress Page. Each wife of Windsor, upon receiving her letter, immediately seeks out the other to express her outrage. They discover Falstaff’s trick and decide to get revenge. Mistress Ford sends for Falstaff under the pretense of beginning their affair.
Warned by Nym and Pistol, Master Ford becomes a jealous husband who fears being made a cuckold. He goes to Falstaff in disguise and learns of the intended meeting with his wife. Ford is determined to catch his wife in the act of cheating.
The Merry Wives dupe Falstaff not once, but three times, each with a successively more humiliating outcome for Falstaff. First they convince him to get into a laundry basket to avoid being caught by the jealous Ford. Second they get him dressed up as an old crone, and in the grand finale of the play, the two Merry Wives recruit the whole town to teach Falstaff his lesson.
*Parental Advisory: Due to pervasive crude humor, we recommend this show for ages 14 and above
Cast List announced. If you missed auditions and wish to be a part of the play contact merrywives@camdencivictheatre.com
Rehearsal Schedule for calendar overview click here. For the upcoming rehearsal schedule and notes click here.
The performances are Friday April 9, Saturday April 10, evening performances Sunday April 11 matinee, and the following weekend Friday April 16, Saturday April 17 evening performances, and Sunday April 18 matinee.
Characters:
Mistress Margaret Page – a Merry Wife of Windsor, wife of Master Page.
Master George Page – husband of Mistress Page
Anne Page – daughter of Mr and Mrs. Page
William Page – school boy son of Mr. and Mrs. Page
Mistress Alice Ford – a Merry Wife of Windsor, the wife of Master Ford.
Master Frank Ford – Mistress Ford’s husband. Of a jealous disposition.
John and Robert – the Ford’s servants
Sir John Falstaff - the protagonist and comedic center of the play
Robin – Falstaff’s page
Bardolph, Pistol, and Nym – followers of Falstaff
Sir Hugh Evans – Welsh Parson
Doctor Caius – French physician
Mistress Quickly – Dr. Caius’ housekeeper
John Rugby – Dr. Caius’ servant
Justice Robert Shallow – country justice of the peace
Abraham Slender - Shallow’s nephew and as the name indicates, he is of a slender disposition.
Peter Simple – Slender’s servant
Host – He is the host of the Garter Inn where Falstaff is staying
Master Fenton – the gentleman in love with Anne Page
Children of Windsor – disguised as fairies
*** There will, most likely, be double casting of parts.
If you are interested in being involved in the production crew. Fill out this PDF form: MerryWivesTech and e-mail it to merrywives@camdencivictheatre.com
Questions? contact merrywives@camdencivictheatre.com
