The Merry Wives of Windsor

The Merry Wives of Windsor

The People’s Shakespeare Project (TPSP) is presenting The Merry Wives of Windsor the third week of June at Wheatland, President James Buchanan’s former estate.

Set in the mid-1950s, the play’s characters gather at a resort near Windsor, Connecticut for a hilarious take-down of Sir John Falstaff, whose bad behavior demands a course correction.“The strict moral code and rigid gender norms (of the play) are very reflective of 1950s America, which is why I chose this setting for our production,” says Director Rachel Luann Strayer. Strayer is no stranger to Shakespeare-in-the-Park, having directed numerous outdoor plays for Ghostlight Productions in Clarks Summit, PA. Primarily a playwright, her work has been produced around the country and in Canada. In spite of the rigid 1950’s norms, Merry Wives is a “surprisingly feminist comedy,” Strayer says. A pair of housewives deliver Falstaff’s uproarious comeuppance, including a dunk in the river and dressing up in a pair of horns. “It’s lovely to see the women of Windsor take charge and upset the expectations of others,” adds Strayer.
This is TPSP’s third Shakespeare-in-the-Park production at Wheatland.

Email: jeremiah@peoplesshakespeareproject.org

Phone: (717) 468-9194