The Real “…Wives of Windsor” Make Merry

By Wes Hessel with Flo Mano

A who’s who of elite actors is the crux of this hilarious modern ensemble version of “The Merry Wives of Windsor”; the two wives – the outstanding Ora Jones as Mistress Page and the agile, lissome Issy Van Randwyk (Alice Ford) are the thread weaving schemers of this raucous romp. Upon receiving identical love letters from Sir John Falstaff, portrayed incredibly by Jason Simon, they connive to outwit him.

The super talented chameleon Timothy Edward Kane – Master Ford, the jealous husband – is over the top hysterical, and his counterpart Master Page, Chiké Johnson, gives a subtle, charming performance. Alex Weiseman’s socially awkward Slender is hilarious as a suitor to marry Ann Page (Olivia Pryor) – he steals every scene he’s in, while Teddy Gales is very funny in his physical comedic Bardolph. Kudos, also, to the amazing children in the cast…

All this frivolity is impeccably directed by Phillip Breen. The costumes and set design by Max Jones combine to capture the atmosphere of the play, such as the plush carpet, and a large “buck hamper” breaks the fourth wall, clothes spewing in the audience. A very fast paced, lots of belly laughs, engaging performance – the time flies. But the fun is on the run only until May 3rd, so please fly to www.chicagoshakes.com for tickets or more information.

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