Immerse in the story...
Director's Notes
Program notes from The Merry Wives of Windsor director, Terri McMahon
Whether Queen Elizabeth wanted a comedy written with her favorite theatrical character, Sir John Falstaff, in love, OR, William Shakespeare had a last minute commission to create some entertainment for a big shindig his patron was throwing…it doesn’t really matter. Hundreds of years later we’ve got ourselves “a merry tale of sexual misadventure.” The Merry Wives of Windsor, with utterly recognizable human foibles at its heart, is meant to not only entertain, but actually open our minds – for that’s what laughter does! And, Shakespeare doubles the fun with not just one, but two married women, friends in cahoots, to make Queen Elizabeth’s beloved Falstaff wish his Jumbotron ego had never ever made a play for their sexual charms and family money.
Over and over looking at The Merry Wives of Windsor for APT’s summer of ‘23, I have asked myself, what do Alice Ford and Margaret Page get for their troubles? What kind of cashback, BOGO does the town of Windsor receive for sustaining their identity and denying Falstaff his big win? The answer for me doubles back to: 1) Laughter... ALL the loveable, idiosyncratic townspeople of Windsor ultimately turn toward laughter in response to being pranked, duped, one-upped or singed a little emotionally or monetarily. And 2) Without a Falstaff in their midst, this group of Windsor characters could never have advanced out of the ruts they were in at the top of this merry tale. Watch and see!
We need Falstaffs in our midst to show us what is important and what is not. Sometimes – many times – we secretly love what we disapprove of. As human beings, we hold contradictory realities in our hearts and minds constantly. However, I think we would all relish a little more Falstaff in ourselves: the self-promoter, the seeker of continuous pleasure, and yes, even the liar and the cheat. Because if we press the edges of civil boundaries, or even go beyond like John Falstaff, we may discover possibilities we never imagined for ourselves!
One more word about laughter. There are lots of kinds: the short-lived groaners produced by punchlines. The empathetic “oh no, not that” laughs that we often use as humble preludes to temper our own downfalls. The “we’re all stuck in this together” laughs about politics. But the one that is most enduring to our psyche is the “I know you” kind of laughter that a Mark Twain, Erma Bombeck or name-a-comedian-who-susses-out-the-awkwardness-of-life-for-you. It just makes you feel better. Makes you feel understood. William Shakespeare was an expert at drawing out the I-know-you laughs. Laughter protects our mental health!
I hope you are not only entertained with our Merry Wives – lovingly brought to you by some of the finest actors I have ever seen collected on any stage – but that it will make you want to get cozy with someone. To be a community for a bit. That it will make you want to think generously about laughing at yourself, and others around you, as we trip through this strange and wonderful gift called life together.
- Terri McMahon, Director of The Merry Wives of Windsor
Portable Prologues Podcast
Host Orange Schroeder talks to the directors and actors to bring you background information that will make you appreciate each APT performance even more! Listen on Apple Podcast or Spotify! Produced by Buzz Kemper, Audio for the Arts.
APT Core Company member David Daniel, who portrays Sir John Falstaff, discusses the 2023 production of The Merry Wives of Windsor, directed by Terri McMahon, at American Players Theater in Spring Green, Wisconsin. Enhance your experience and appreciation by listening to this lively interview before or after your theater visit.
Reviews
Review: APT's Campy 'Merry Wives' goes walking in a Windsor wonderland by Lindsay Christians, The Cap Times
Review: A Weightier Falstaff by Gwendolyn Rice, Isthmus
Season Selects: The Merry Wives of Windsor
Fast Facts
Playing: Hill Theatre | June 10 - October 8
Featuring Tracy Michelle Arnold, Dee Dee Batteast, Kelsey Brennan, Teri Brown, Nate Burger, David Daniel, Jim DeVita, Kailey Azure Green, Rasell Holt, Reginald A. Jackson, Josh Krause, Jamaque Newberry, Ronald Román-Meléndez, James Ridge & Marcus Truschinski.
Genre: Shakespeare Comedy
Last Seen at APT: 2015
Go if You Liked: Love's Labour's Lost (2022), The Taming of the Shrew (2021)
Video
Trailer: The Merry Wives of Windsor at APT
The Merry Wives of Windsor in 60 Seconds
David Daniel (Falstaff) attempts to describe all of The Merry Wives of Windsor in 60 seconds. Can he do it? Let's find out!
Director Terri McMahon on The Merry Wives of Windsor
Director Terri McMahon on Shakespeare's The Merry Wives of Windsor and working with comedic geniuses!
Behind the Scenes with Sara Becker & Alys Dickerson
Learn how a professional voice and text session works with APT's Director of Voice and Text, Sara Becker, and APT actor and educator Alys Dickerson.