Événement

The Merry Wives of Windsor PRESENTED BY The Porters of Hellsgate

In the midst of The Great Depression and hot on the heels of American prohibition's end, a new film genre was swiftly gaining popularity; 1934's It Happened One Night was far from an over-night success, but by the 1940s, screwball comedy had firmly left its footprint in American film history. The Porters of Hellsgate have chosen to continue their sixth season with The Merry Wives of Windsor (arguably Shakespeare's contribution to the screwball genre) as a raucous bar romp set in the 1930s. Staying true to the genre, The Porters focus on elements of class and escapism, revel in farce, and order up a round of weddings on the houseall in a breakneck 90 minutes. Running a full six weeks in the summer of 2012 with Artistic Director Charles Pasternak at the helm, The Porters' Merry Wives promises to be one sexy party (with apologies to Mr. Sarris).

When Sir John Falstaff finds himself in Windsor with naught but a scheme in his pocket, everything is bound to go right. With his eye on financial gain, Plump Jack sends out identical love notes to two wealthy women (the Mistresses Ford and Page)--but witty women that they are, the mistresses very quickly undress Falstaff's plots, subjecting him to one merry trick after another. Amidst the madness of a jealous husband, doting dolts, and the kind of wedding that could get you arrested in North Carolina, mistaken identity, musical numbers, and that most famous Falstaff run amok in this classic comedy.