THE WIVES HAVE NEVER BEEN MERRIER

The point of The Merry Wives of Windsor was to give Jack Falstaff a bit more time on the stage, beyond the bounds of Shakespeare’s history plays, where his comic genius is hemmed in by the serious matter of battles for land and succession. The character is a big fat stew of lechery, swindling, boastful lies, and yes, actual fat. What’s not to love? Even Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth I demanded more, according to theatre legend.

Felicia Curry and Oneika Phillips

Jacob Ming-Trent and Kelli Blackwell

At the Shakespeare Theatre Company in Washington, DC, Jacob Ming-Trent is Falstaff down to his marrow, having assayed the role already in the original version of this production at the Public Theater’s Shakespeare in the Park in New York. Adapted by Jocelyn Bioh and here directed with a true gift for comic timing by Taylor Reynolds, this Wives is inspired—and inspires—by its setting in a culturally West African neighborhood in Harlem. Thus, though Ming-Trent shines as the comic foil—the definitive trickster tricked, a trope shared by European comedy and African folktales—the force of this rollicking production derives from ensemble performance that shifts the center of gravity from old Jack to the complex social interaction in this community.

The cast

Jacob Ming-Trent, Felicia Curry, and Oneika Phillips

The merry wives themselves, who know how to play up their sex appeal while foiling all Falstaff’s ridiculous efforts to seduce them, are boldly, hilariously, and sympathetically portrayed by Felicia Curry (Madam Nkechi Ford) and Oneika Phillips (Madam Ekua Page); even minor figures come to vivid life in Bru Aju’s wonderful turn as Pistol and the welcome presence of Craig Wallace (Shallow), a living treasure of Washington theater who brightens any stage he plays on. The dynamic set by Lawrence E. Motten III plays the role of a chorus supporting the players; Ivania Stack’s costumes define the comic personas but also welcome the audience into an authentically West African way of comprehending the social world.

The cast

The cast

The sublime finale of this Wives takes Shakespeare’s playscript in an exciting new direction, transcending the raucous farce of most productions with a moving appeal to the endurance of tradition under the worst of historical circumstances. Even Falstaff has to admit that with his defeat, all is once again right—for now—in this little world. The gods have smiled on Harlem.

Jacob Ming-Trent

photos by Teresa Castracane

The Merry Wives of Windsor
Shakespeare Theatre Company
Harman Hall, 610 F Street NW in Washington, DC
1 hour 50 minutes, no intermission
ends on October 5, 2025
for tickets, call 202.547.1122 or visit STC