Theater Review—

Shakespeare Experiment Succeeds Again At The Little Theatre

By Julie Stern

Each July, Ruth Anne Baumgartner stretches the intellectual envelope of both The Town Players of Newtown and their audiences by mounting productions of Elizabethan, Jacobean and Restoration comedies. Thus while other towns may settle for warmed over drawing room farces, or Neil Simon sitcoms, here in Newtown the advent of summer invites us to experience the likes of Shakespeare, Jonson, Beaumont and Fletcher, and Wycherley.

This year the undertaking consists of the seldom-seen Shakespearian experiment, The Merry Wives of Windsor. I call it an “experiment” because it is the only one of the Bard’s works to be set in his own

contemporary England.

Also, The Merry Wives was a spin-off- put together hastily, at the behest of Queen Elizabeth I,  who wanted a funny new play, using that hilarious character Sir John Falstaff, from Henry IV and V. Apparently she wanted it done to celebrate  the installation of the new Knights of the Garter ceremony, which was coming up in a month’s time.

Never one to quarrel with his greatest patron, Shakespeare dutifully put together a plot that combined several threads: The wives of two prominent citizens contrive to play practical jokes on the irrepressible braggart and womanizer, Falstaff, and thereby make a fool out of him when he imagines he is going to seduce them both.

Secondly, the foolish Slender, and the irascible French physician Caius, prepare to compete for the hand of sweet young Anne Page, daughter of one of the “wives,” with each one using his servant to further his case.

Anne’s heart belongs to the brooding Fenton, however, whom her father disapproves of, and has warned off. Getting the lovers together, while giving Falstaff his comeuppance, is the general aim of the play.

Set in the town of Windsor, in and around the Inn of the Garter (named for the order which Shakespeare was acknowledging), the play also embodies the order’s famous motto: Honi soit qui mal y pense (Evil be to him who thinks evil). Those who are suspicious, jealous, or disloyal will be punished — albeit mildly — this is a comedy, after all.

More importantly, as with most spin-offs, created to bring back a popular personality, the play is definitely character driven. Its raison d’etre is to provide a chance for Falstaff, and some others, to strut their stuff on stage and chew a little scenery.

Rob Pawlikowski has a grand time as the swaggering loudmouth, who must survive being stuffed in a dirty laundry basket and dumped in the river, just when he is expecting to cuckold an unwary husband. Two other

practitioners of comedy use the old Andy Kaufman technique of murdering the language. This was Shakespeare’s natural tendency to spoof foreigners. Timothy Huber is mellifuously incoherent as the Welsh parson Sir Hugh Evans, while Frank Arnone sputters with exaggerated outrage as Dr Caius, in a way that was faintly reminiscent of the Cookie Monster.

Two of my personal favorite performances came from two of the good doctor’s servants: Linda Panovich-Sachs as the good-hearted but sly Mistress Quickly, and Leah Nashel as Rugby, his small and dutiful page.

Other good acting was done by John Pyron, as Justice Shallow, a pillar of the community; Olivia Carr as the winsome Miss Page, Robert Olson, the genial host of the Garter Inn, and Christopher Bird, as the jealous husband of one of the merry wives.

With 22 characters, many of them appearing at the same time, the small stage seemed a bit overwhelmed, but their diction was impressive and the costuming, as always, was a treat for the eye.

(Performances conclude this weekend. There are shows Friday and Saturday evening at 8, and a matinee on Sunday, July 26, at 2.

Tickets are $18 for the evening shows, $15 for the matinee, and can be reserved by calling 270-9144.)