[NEohioPAL]Yet Another Rave -- MERRY WIVES at Actors' Summit

[Thackaberr at aol.com]

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The plays of William Shakespeare fall into two categories: the tragedies and=
=20
the comedies. The tragedies have been known to sink under their immense=20
weight, while the comedies can all too easily turn into farce, if not direct=
ed=20
properly.=20

Happily, in the brisk production at Actors' Summit Theater in Hudson, Merry=20
Wives of Windsor is very near perfection as directed by Neil Thackaberry . O=
f=20
course, any theatrical production which features Dorothy and Reuben Silver h=
as=20
a head start on the perfection angle. This is a very even cast, however, for=
=20
all its size, and they all hold their own very well, indeed.=20

The all-purpose stage configuration at Actors' Summit easily serves as a=20
multitude of locations by the addition of a chair or a table. Flanked by a p=
air of=20
doors=E2=80=94one for the Page family, the other for the Fords=E2=80=94the s=
pace opens out=20
towards the audience, bringing the action right up close and personal. Light=
ing=20
by Dan Polk is adept and versatile, changing the setting from tavern to=20
garden to midnight in the forest for the final scene. Mary Jo Alexander is i=
n=20
charge of costumes and props. Cleverly using sumptuous-appearing fabrics wit=
h=20
homespuns, as well as colorful leather for capes and jackets, she has create=
d a=20
bright, true-to-life world inhabited by not only the wealthy Pages and Fords=
, the=20
serviceable Mistress Quickly and Sir John, but also the various servants and=
=20
townsfolk..=20

Dorothy and Reuben Silver happily belie their (real) ages as they bustle=20
around the stage in their respective roles as Mistress Quickly and Sir John=20
Falstaff. Dorothy is wise and knowing, slightly bawdy, and excellent at coax=
ing=20
payment for services rendered from nearly everyone she encounters. As with m=
ost of=20
the rest of the cast, she has her share of puns and malapropisms, in=20
particular the word 'speshusly', which she uses with grand relish, eyes twin=
kling with=20
great humor all the while.=20

Reuben, on the other hand, seems like Falstaff brought to life, albeit with=20=
a=20
bit of extra padding around his middle. He blusters and weasels and complain=
s=20
and just generally chews up the scenery, having a grand old time as the gran=
d=20
old knight, created especially by request, and for the enjoyment of Queen=20
Elizabeth I, some 400 years ago. Sir John, you recall, is somewhat of a=20
scoundrel, narrowly squeaking past a lawsuit, and then setting about a dual=20=
seduction.=20

The two ladies, being good friends, share his letters, and plot revenge. Do=20
they ever! Sally Groth is a lovely Mistress Ford, who truly loves only her=20
husband. Mistress Page, of course, loves her own husband well and truly, but=
 is=20
also concerned with Anne, her daughter of marriageable age. Rebecca Fischer=20=
Knab=20
(once of WCLV radio) obviously loves every minute of her role, eyes sparklin=
g=20
as she cheerfully plots mayhem with her friend.=20

Andrew Narten as Master Ford and Tom Stephan as Master Page carry their part=
s=20
very well; Ford having the extra part as 'Master Brook' while inveigling=20
Falstaff into trying to seduce Ms. Ford. Master Page has his own bit of fath=
erly=20
love, in trying to set up a good match for his daughter, Anne, beautifully=20
played by the beautiful Maggie Morgan. Unfortunately, his choice of mate, th=
e=20
foppish Slender (the exceedingly well cast Aaron Coleman) is not the same as=
 his=20
wife's choice, Dr. Caius (Jeff Nichols with a hilariously wonderful faux Fre=
nch=20
accent), and neither of them has chosen the young man most wished for by=20
their daughter. Anne wants Master Fenton, and as played by Thomas R. Cumming=
s,=20
it's easy to see why.=20

Michael Pitt is wonderfully roguish as the Host of the Garter Inn, not above=
=20
lining his own pockets should the occasion warrant.=20

There's a lot of to-ing and fro-ing, with Falstaff first dumped in the river=
=20
along with the dirty laundry in the basket in which he is forced to hide, in=
=20
order to escape Master Ford. Then, when dressed as an old woman, he is sound=
ly=20
thumped by the irate Master Ford, who thinks the woman to be a witch. Still,=
=20
Falstaff is not ready to give up his quest, and agrees to a midnight rendezv=
ous=20
in the forest.=20

Amid the fairies and goblins, everything works out reasonably well: the Ford=
s=20
and the Pages are reunited with each other, and Anne gets her Master Fenton.=
=20
Sir John is left to plan his next adventure.=20

Merry Wives of Windsor is a lively production that will appeal to almost any=
=20
age, and is very suitable for families. The opportunity to see Dorothy and=20
Reuben Silver as two of theatre's classic clowns should not be missed. Merry=
=20
Wives continues at Actors' Summit Theatre in Hudson through April 25. Call=20
1-330-342-0800 for ticket information. Next up is Lend Me a Tenor beginning=20=
May 6.=20
The web-site is: http://www.actorssummit.org=20

-- Kelly Ferjutz

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<HTML><HEAD>
<META charset=3DUTF-8 http-equiv=3DContent-Type content=3D"text/html; charse=
t=3DUTF-8">
<META content=3D"MSHTML 6.00.2600.0" name=3DGENERATOR></HEAD>
<BODY style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; BACKGROUND-COLOR: #fffff=
f"><SPAN class=3Dpostbody>The plays of William Shakespeare fall into two cat=
egories: the tragedies and the comedies. The tragedies have been known to si=
nk under their immense weight, while the comedies can all too easily turn in=
to farce, if not directed properly. <BR><BR>Happily, in the brisk production=
 at Actors' Summit Theater in Hudson, <SPAN style=3D"FONT-STYLE: italic">Mer=
ry Wives of Windsor</SPAN> is very near perfection as directed by <SPAN styl=
e=3D"FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Neil Thackaberry </SPAN>. Of course, any theatrical=20=
production which features <SPAN style=3D"FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Dorothy</SPAN> a=
nd <SPAN style=3D"FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Reuben Silver</SPAN> has a head start o=
n the perfection angle. This is a very even cast, however, for all its size,=
 and they all hold their own very well, indeed. <BR><BR>The all-purpose stag=
e configuration at Actors' Summit easily serves as a multitude of locations=20=
by the addition of a chair or a table. Flanked by a pair of doors=E2=80=94on=
e for the Page family, the other for the Fords=E2=80=94the space opens out t=
owards the audience, bringing the action right up close and personal. Lighti=
ng by <SPAN style=3D"FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Dan Polk</SPAN> is adept and versati=
le, changing the setting from tavern to garden to midnight in the forest for=
 the final scene. <SPAN style=3D"FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Mary Jo Alexander</SPAN>=
 is in charge of costumes and props. Cleverly using sumptuous-appearing fabr=
ics with homespuns, as well as colorful leather for capes and jackets, she h=
as created a bright, true-to-life world inhabited by not only the wealthy Pa=
ges and Fords, the serviceable Mistress Quickly and Sir John, but also the v=
arious servants and townsfolk.. <BR><BR><SPAN style=3D"FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Do=
rothy</SPAN> and <SPAN style=3D"FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Reuben Silver</SPAN> happ=
ily belie their (real) ages as they bustle around the stage in their respect=
ive roles as Mistress Quickly and Sir John Falstaff. Dorothy is wise and kno=
wing, slightly bawdy, and excellent at coaxing payment for services rendered=
 from nearly everyone she encounters. As with most of the rest of the cast,=20=
she has her share of puns and malapropisms, in particular the word 'speshusl=
y', which she uses with grand relish, eyes twinkling with great humor all th=
e while. <BR><BR>Reuben, on the other hand, seems like Falstaff brought to l=
ife, albeit with a bit of extra padding around his middle. He blusters and w=
easels and complains and just generally chews up the scenery, having a grand=
 old time as the grand old knight, created especially by request, and for th=
e enjoyment of Queen Elizabeth I, some 400 years ago. Sir John, you recall,=20=
is somewhat of a scoundrel, narrowly squeaking past a lawsuit, and then sett=
ing about a dual seduction. <BR><BR>The two ladies, being good friends, shar=
e his letters, and plot revenge. Do they ever! <SPAN style=3D"FONT-WEIGHT: b=
old">Sally Groth</SPAN> is a lovely Mistress Ford, who truly loves only her=20=
husband. Mistress Page, of course, loves her own husband well and truly, but=
 is also concerned with Anne, her daughter of marriageable age. <SPAN style=
=3D"FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Rebecca Fischer Knab</SPAN> (once of WCLV radio) obvi=
ously loves every minute of her role, eyes sparkling as she cheerfully plots=
 mayhem with her friend. <BR><BR><SPAN style=3D"FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Andrew Na=
rten</SPAN> as Master Ford and <SPAN style=3D"FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Tom Stephan=
</SPAN> as Master Page carry their parts very well; Ford having the extra pa=
rt as 'Master Brook' while inveigling Falstaff into trying to seduce Ms. For=
d. Master Page has his own bit of fatherly love, in trying to set up a good=20=
match for his daughter, Anne, beautifully played by the beautiful <SPAN styl=
e=3D"FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Maggie Morgan</SPAN>. Unfortunately, his choice of m=
ate, the foppish Slender (the exceedingly well cast <SPAN style=3D"FONT-WEIG=
HT: bold">Aaron Coleman</SPAN>) is not the same as his wife's choice, Dr. Ca=
ius (<SPAN style=3D"FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Jeff Nichols</SPAN> with a hilariousl=
y wonderful faux French accent), and neither of them has chosen the young ma=
n most wished for by their daughter. Anne wants Master Fenton, and as played=
 by <SPAN style=3D"FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Thomas R. Cummings</SPAN>, it's easy t=
o see why. <BR><BR><SPAN style=3D"FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Michael Pitt</SPAN> is=20=
wonderfully roguish as the Host of the Garter Inn, not above lining his own=20=
pockets should the occasion warrant. <BR><BR>There's a lot of to-ing and fro=
-ing, with Falstaff first dumped in the river along with the dirty laundry i=
n the basket in which he is forced to hide, in order to escape Master Ford.=20=
Then, when dressed as an old woman, he is soundly thumped by the irate Maste=
r Ford, who thinks the woman to be a witch. Still, Falstaff is not ready to=20=
give up his quest, and agrees to a midnight rendezvous in the forest. <BR><B=
R>Amid the fairies and goblins, everything works out reasonably well: the Fo=
rds and the Pages are reunited with each other, and Anne gets her Master Fen=
ton. Sir John is left to plan his next adventure. <BR><BR><SPAN style=3D"FON=
T-STYLE: italic">Merry Wives of Windsor</SPAN> is a lively production that w=
ill appeal to almost any age, and is very suitable for families. The opportu=
nity to see <SPAN style=3D"FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Dorothy</SPAN> and <SPAN style=
=3D"FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Reuben Silver</SPAN> as two of theatre's classic clow=
ns should not be missed. Merry Wives continues at Actors' Summit Theatre in=20=
Hudson through April 25. Call 1-330-342-0800 for ticket information. Next up=
 is <SPAN style=3D"FONT-STYLE: italic">Lend Me a Tenor</SPAN> beginning May=20=
6. The web-site is: <SPAN style=3D"FONT-WEIGHT: bold">http://www.actorssummi=
t.org</SPAN> <BR><BR>-- Kelly Ferjutz</SPAN></BODY></HTML>

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