BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND: Enrollment for the 2023 Summer Stars program is open!  Several DISCOUNTS are still available! For more information and registration, CLICK HERE.

Masks are now OPTIONAL while at the theater.  Read our COVID policies and precautions here.  

"THE MERRY WIVES OF WINDSOR" by William Shakespeare

The Merry Wives of Windsor Logo

1963. Welcome to the Windsor Hotel Resort in South Fallsburg, NY.

 

Shakespeare’s bright and breezy comedy of sexual jealousy, where clever women are forced to put up with dull, ego-centric men, is given a 1960s sitcom reboot, the fun played out against a landscape of summer resort leisure and that new “dirty dancing” music trend.

 

That old scoundrel, the fat John “Sinjin” Falstaff, erstwhile Borscht Belt nightclub entertainer headlining at the Garter Restaurant in the Windsor Resort, is down on his luck.  Seeing a way to restore his fortunes, he schemes to seduce both Mrs. Page and Mrs. Ford, the vacationing wives of two wealthy NY businessmen.  He sends them identical love letters, but his double-dealing ruse is discovered, and the two ladies determine to teach him a lesson… or two… or three.

 

Meanwhile, the irrationally jealous Frank Ford has heard of Falstaff’s plan and decides to test his wife’s fidelity.  And in a subplot of young love, the Pages’ daughter, Anne “Goodbody” Page, is pursued by three suitors, each of whom is paying the hotel manager, Nell Quickly, to push their cause.

 

There is much mayhem, dodgy disguises, misdirected letters, a “duel” and a midnight denouement, before the tangle is unraveled, the men-behaving-badly get their comeuppance, and the good prevail.

All performances will take place at the ActorsNET – The Heritage Center – in Morrisville PA.  A one weekend extension outdoors at Fonthill Castle in Doylestown is under negotiation.

 

Performance Dates at ActorsNET:

  • Friday, June 9, 2023 at 8:00pm
  • Saturday, June 10, 2023 at 8:00pm
  • Sunday, June 11, 2023 at 2:00pm
  • Friday, June 16, 2023 at 8:00pm
  • Saturday, June 17, 2023 at 8:00pm
  • Sunday, June 18, 2023 at 2:00pm
  • Friday, June 23, 2023 at 8:00pm
  • Saturday, June 24, 2023 at 8:00pm
  • Sunday, June 25, 2023 at 2:00pm

 

Potential performances at Fonthill Castle:

  • Friday, July 7, 2023 at 7pm
  • Saturday, July 8, 2023 at 7pm

Sunday, February 19th at 11:00 am – 2:00 pm

Saturday, February 25th at 3:00 pm – 5:00 pm

Sunday, February 26th at 11:00 am – 2:00 pm

Monday, February 27th at 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm

 

Appointments are encouraged, but walk-ins will be seen on a time-available basis. Sign up at the link on the bottom of the page!

Auditions and performances are held at the Heritage Center, 635 Delmorr Ave, Morrisville, PA 19067

To assure the health and safety of everyone involved in the production, all actors and production staff must be fully vaccinated against the COVID-19 virus and will be required to show their vaccination card at the time of audition.
 
Please make sure you bring your vaccination card and wear a mask (except when you are onstage) or you will not be permitted to enter the theatre.

Roles are open to performers of all races, gender identities, sexual orientations, body types, ages, and abilities.

 

All roles are non-equity and unpaid.

If you have a prepared monologue, you are welcome to perform it. Otherwise, sides will be prepared for cold readings.

The read through will be in mid to late March, and rehearsals will begin directly following.  We will rehearse two to three nights a week with the possibility of Saturday or Sunday afternoon rehearsals.  Please let us know about ALL potential conflicts between March 15 and July 8, 2023.

CHARACTER LIST

John “Sinjin” Falstaff (male, 40-60+)

An overweight, nightclub entertainer, down on his luck but with a very high opinion of himself and his supposed virile charms, also an inveterate coward

Mr. George Page (Male, 30-50)

A wealthy NYC businessman, married to Mistress Margaret and father of Anne

Mrs. Margaret (Margie) Page (Female, 30-50)

A lady who is fond of her husband George, though she has rather different ideas about who should marry their daughter Anne

Anne “Goodbody” Page (Female, 18+)

The daughter of George Page and Margaret

Mr. Frank Ford (Male, 30-50)

Another vacationing, wealthy NYC businessman afflicted with an almost pathological case of jealousy

Doctor Caius (Male, 25-35+)

A heavily ethnic physician – a short-tempered, easily offended man who is wooing Anne Page and does not wish to see anyone else moving in on her

John Rugby (Male, 20-40)

Dr. Caius’s servant. He is deeply intimidated by his master

Nell Quickly (Female, age open)

Windsor Resort Hotel Manager–a foolish woman with a poor command of language, mixing up her English words and unable to identify Latin as a foreign language as opposed to dirty English

Host(ess) of the Garter Restaurant (Male or Female, age open)

A rather merry innkeeper who is incapable of saying anything simply and likes showing off how many words he knows.

Hugh Evans (Male, 30+)

A rabbi; he has not lost his very heavy accent either in English or in Latin, which is a source of much amusement to the others

Robin (Male or Female, 18 – 30)

Falstaff’s page, but not the most faithful of servants

Bardolph (Male or Female, age open)

One of Falstaff’s followers; when the fat knight can no longer afford to keep his men, he finds Bardolph a job as bartender for the Host

Pistol (Male or Female, age open)

One of Falstaff’s followers–a swaggering narcissist

Nym (Male or Female, age open)

One of Falstaff’s followers, and obsessed with humors

Justice of the Peace, Robert Shallow (Male, 60s)

An old and respectable man, if somewhat foolish

Mr. “Biff” Fenton (Male, 18-30)

A young, good-looking gentleman with a bit of a wild past who became very attracted to Anne Page when he discovered how rich her father is

Abraham Slender (Male, 25-40)

Justice Shallow’s nephew–a rich and foolish man who wishes to marry Anne Page

Peter Simple (Male or Female, 20s-40s)

Slender’s servant–an obedient fellow with a foolish master