Shakespeare wrote The Merry Wives of Windsor to capitalize on the immense popularity of Falstaff generated by Henry IV, Part 1. Consequently, it is slighter and more straightforward than his other comedies, constructed on two extended plot devices: the three tricks that the two wives, Mistress Ford and Mistress Page, play on the lascivious Falstaff, and the disguise (Mr. Brook) that the jealous Master Ford assumes to spy on his wife and to test her fidelity.
Since there's not much substance here, the play's success largely depends on the performances, especially of the two wives, Frank Ford, and, most of all, Falstaff. Happily, this Utah Shakespearean Festival production has found actors who fit these characters like the proverbial glove. Kieran Connolly, sporting and stroking his well-padded belly with a self-satisfied air, is all you could ask for in a Falstaff: lusty, boastful, cowardly, and avaricious, "the Mars of malcontents," as Pistol calls him. Most importantly, this Falstaff doesn't appear too quick on the uptake, thus making him a perfect target for the much quicker and cleverer wives, Mistress Ford (Leslie Brott) and Mistress Page (Victoria Adams-Zischke), who bustle about the stage like a couple of mischievous and very busy bees. We know from the outset that Falstaff is only after them for their husbands' fortunes, so we are happy not only to see him get his comeuppance but to share with the wives in its planning.
Brott and Adams-Zischke are the proof of the characters' own adage: "Wives may be merry, and yet honest too." Their conspiratorial air and sense of good-natured fun prevent Mistress Ford and Mistress Page's retaliations from ever becoming malicious. A. Bryan Humphrey's unerring comic timing keeps Master Ford adroitly poised between irrational jealousy and crafty manipulation as he pumps Falstaff for pertinent information. Charles Metten's self-important Shallow, Aaron Galligan Stierle's fastidious fool of a Slender, Dan Kremer's blustering Doctor Caius, and Jacqueline Antaramian's gossipy, dithery Mistress Quickly do well in the supporting cast.
Director Kate Buckley immediately establishes the friendly and upbeat tempo of life in Windsor during the play's opening scene as people move rapidly to and fro across the stage, greeting each other and going about their daily business. Audience members with quick eyes and some knowledge of the play can easily identify the characters they're going to spend the next couple of hours with. Christopher Pickart's evocative Tudor set and Joe Payne's twittering bird sounds intensify the atmosphere.
Janet L. Swenson has designed elegantly coordinated costumes for the two wives: Mistress Page's dress is red with gold-brown touches, while Mistress Ford's dress reverses the combination. Rich reds, browns, and grays dominate among the rest of the villagers.
There's not much meat in The Merry Wives of Windsor, but the fun this cast has romping through it turns this production into a delectable dessert.
The Merry Wives of Windsor runs in repertory June 26-Sept. 2 at the Adams Shakespearean Theatre, Utah Shakespearean Festival, 351 W. Center St., Cedar City, Utah. Tickets: (800) PLAYTIX. Website: www.bard.org.