The Merry Wives of Windsor June 4, 2011

Kicking off Theatricum’s six-play repertory season during the first weekend of June, artistic director Ellen Geer directs The Merry Wives of Windsor. Alan Blumenfeld (Heroes) stars in Shakespeare’s gleeful comedy as one of the Bard’s most beloved creations: the opportunistic schemer and womanizer Sir John Falstaff. When Falstaff tries to woo two wealthy women at once, they happily plot his comeuppance.

Looking to fill his purse, Falstaff woos two wealthy wives simultaneously – with identical love letters! The ladies soon discover the rascal’s schemes and merrily engage to discredit their trickster suitor. With the assistance of their husbands, Falstaff receives his comeuppance in this gleeful comedy that sees the duper duped and the wives happily vindicated.

“I love that Falstaff, who is such a rapscallion, gets put in his place by all the wives working together,” says Geer. “Merry Wives is often directed as farce, but to me it’s a beautiful piece about the coming together of a community. When it’s all over and Master and Mistress Ford make up at the end, it always brings tears to my eyes.”

The Merry Wives of Windsor is the only Shakespeare play to deal exclusively with contemporary English life, and has been called “the original sitcom,” complete with wacky situations and a wide array of comic characters. Legend has it that Shakespeare, having killed Sir John Falstaff in Henry V, was so overwhelmed with requests to bring back the portly knight – including a request from Queen Elizabeth herself – that he finally relented with the penning of Merry Wives.

Joining Blumenfeld on stage are Theatricum company members Ted Barton as Master Ford; Tim Halligan as Master Page; Jerry Hoffman as Shallow; Melora Marshall as Mistress Quickly; Karen Reed as Mistress Page; Gerald C. Rivers as Sir Hugh Evans; Elizabeth Tobias as Mistress Ford; Paul Turbiak as Dr. Caius; and Dylan Booth Vigus as Abraham Slender. Rounding out the ensemble are Michael Aurelio, Crystal Marie Clark, Liz Eldridge, Clare Fogerty, Austin Andries, Amy Greenspan, Christian La Monte, Max Lawrence, Ella Martin, William Reinbold, Eric Ritter, Franc Ross, Taylor Jackson Ross, Maurice Shaw, and Kabin Thomas.

Buffet dinners featuring traditional British fare, with Windsor wenches and country lads in attendance, will be served on Friday, July 22 and Friday, July 29 at 6:30 pm in the theater's adjacent gardens, followed by an 8 pm performance of The Merry Wives of Windsor (separate admission, or combo packages available). Advanced reservations required.

The outdoor amphitheater at The Will Geer Theatricum Botanicum is terraced into the hillside of the rustic canyon. Audience members are advised to dress casually (warmly for evenings) and bring cushions for bench seating. Snacks are available at the Hamlet Hut, and picnickers are welcome before and after the performances.

The Merry Wives of Windsor opens on Saturday, June 4 through September 10. A prologue (pre-show discussion) is on Sunday, July 10 @ 2:30 pm (included in the ticket price). Please visit the website or call for a complete schedule of performances. Tickets are from $32 for the lower tier and $20 for the upper tier. Kids 7-12 $10, 6 & under free. Students with ID are $20-$15 and seniors are $25-$18.

The Will Geer Theatricum Botanicum is located at 1419 N. Topanga Canyon Blvd. (midway between midway between Malibu and the San Fernando Valley) in Topanga. For reservations and information, call 310.455.2322 before May 24 and 310.455.3723 after May 24, or visit online at www.theatricum.com.