This weekend Shakespeare Northwest left Mount Vernon and paid a visit to Seattle’s Volunteer Park in their production of The Merry Wives of Windsor. The cast had excellent chemistry and performed with a lighthearted ease indicative of the years they have been working together. Though it was difficult to hear at times and some lines were stumbled over occasionally, the crew remained engaging and delivered a strong performance.
Penniless Falstaff, played by Trey Hatch, humorously subjects himself to humiliation repeatedly in his transparent rouse to blackmail sarcastic Mistress Ford and her friendly companion Mistress Page. All are the wiser to Falstaff’s plot, except for himself as the two wives conspire to trick him into more and more outrageous messes that first leave him drenched, then beaten, then openly disgraced. But the joke is on everyone when Anne, the daughter of Page, and Fenton succeed in a secret marriage that surprises all.
During an unfolding scene where Falstaff is being tormented by children dressed as sprites, the actors infiltrated the audience from behind and brought us in on the mischief, which the little ones enjoyed especially.
Scott Andrews prompted lots of laughs in his convincing portrayal as a jealous Ford whose unsuccessful attempts to catch his wife’s infidelity propel the comedy forward. Carolyn Travis came through strongly as boisterous and very pleased Mistress Quickly, who slings her willing reward, Falstaff, over her shoulder like a sack of beans before exiting the stage.
The Merry Wives of Windsor is a not just a performance but an experience. The actors’ familiarity with one another was one of the reasons why this play was a joy to watch. I hope Shakespeare Northwest continues to trek down to Seattle in the future.
“The Merry Wives of Windsor” by William Shakespeare, directed by Shawn Fuller. Evening performances at Rexville-Blackrock Amphitheatre in Mount Vernon, WA through August 17. See www.shakesnw.org for specific dates and times.