Merry Wives of Windsor

Last week I ushered for ASP's production of The Merry Wives of Windsosr, which they staged in what used to be Jimmy Tingle's Theater in Davis Square (a subterranean small performance space). The short form: I enjoyed it, but then, I've never not enjoyed this one. I mean, it's got lots of strong female characters who get their way (one way or another), and while the solutions to attempted lechery aren't exactly what people would try now, the issues are still the same. It also feels more 'modern' to me because the characters' social status is relatively similar to people today.

ASP chose a minimal sort of production, using a thrust stage with a few multi-purpose pieces: two benches (one of which could rise to become a bar), two outlined hinged doors (each on wheels), a few other small pieces. The stage also had some banners and flags, and the lighting did the rest of the work. They minimized the number of actors, having most play at least two roles, sometimes crossing genders. Otherwise, it was a fairly straightforward production, vaguely period, and rather funny, as always.

There were a few slight changes that I noticed, only one of them intentional, getting the audience to sing "to wit, to woo" (or something like that; I kept imagining it was about birds courting, because it sounded partly like a bird call). There was a mustache-taking-off failure in one scene, and at some point, a cell phone rang... and rang... until one of the actors starting the next scene asked another if he would turn off his phone. (I was appalled, not because someone forgot to turn off their phone even after the reminder, but because it took so long to silence.)

I think the show is ending this weekend; no clue whether it's sold out or not, but it's worth seeing if available.