Story in 2 sentences:
Falstaff tries to seduce Mistress Page and Mistress
Ford. Instead, they fuck him up.
People who should see this show:
Anyone not from Windsor
Anyone from Windsor (but you might get a little annoyed)
Note: This is
an amazing show and I highly recommend you see it, despite the inaccuracies.
Let it be said that I loved this show, but not as much as my
husband did. You see, the
production has been set in Windsor, Ontario, and that is also where the first
decade and a half of my life was set.
His enjoyment was not handicapped by reality.
The direction was phenomenal. The performances were almost all incredible. The problem, and it's a large one for
me (and everyone else from Windsor that I've told about it), was Johnna Wright's concept.
When I think of Windsor in the 1960s, I think of the two
categories of story told by my family from that era: Motown (Windsor is across the river from Detroit), and the
Ford (and Chrysler and GM) auto plants.
When I heard that the only play Shakespeare wrote that starred the
middle class was going to be set in Windsor, I looked forward to seeing what
would be done with the fact that two of the main characters in the play were Mr
and Mrs Ford. When I found out
that there would be live music, I immediately started mentally flipping through
my dad's LPs, searching out the perfect Motown songs.
Instead, I was presented with country music - well
performed, and yes, I like country - but as far as Windsorite music preferences
go, I am an anomaly - for the completely reasonable dramaturgical position that Johnna Wright likes country music from the 60s. Nothing was done with the name Ford, which is even more
ridiculous: I have never gone
through a day in Windsor without at least one conversation about someone
working at Ford's. Or Chrysler's. Or GM.
Pam Johnson and Drew Facey's design followed the conceptual folly: cowgirl outfits and a country bar. Characters wandering through with
curling brooms - our trashy Canadian sport is bowling, thank you very much.
These were the thoughts wandering through my mind,
distracting me from the best production I have seen at Bard since Henry V.
You should go, though, unless you're from Windsor. You won't know the difference, and it
truly is a gem. One small
annoyance: if you are a woman who
doesn't like being brought onstage, don't sit in the front row. Plays until September 21st
Some highlights:
Patti Allan's
Mistress Quickly: comic genius,
brilliant facial expressions without ever pulling focus, and an easy rapport
with every scene partner.
Alex Rose's vocals:
he's good.
Katey Wright and Amber Lewis's scenes: there are a lot of them (cause they're
the title roles), so good that they work well together; Wright is a little less
forced, and more enjoyable to watch, but Lewis holds her own.
David Marr's French stereotype: pure gold.
