The Merry Wives of Windsor (version 2)
William Shakespeare
Read by LibriVox Volunteers
After the character’s colorful exploits proved a rousing success in Henry IV, Part 1 and Henry IV, Part 2, William Shakespeare brought back the roguish knight Sir John Falstaff for one last adventure in The Merry Wives of Windsor, which is notable for being the only play he wrote that is set in his contemporary Elizabethan England. While sojourning in Windsor with his miscreant retinue, Falstaff devises a new get-rich-quick scheme by trying to woo two wealthy merchant wives, the Mistresses Page and Ford. His fatal mistake? Sending both women identical love letters! When his ruse is discovered, the crafty ladies join forces to subject the rotund reprobate to a series of humiliating pranks as a way of teaching him a lesson, while also stringing along Mistress Ford’s terminally jealous husband for good measure. In the secondary plot, the Pages’ young daughter, Anne, is courted by several suitors, including Justice Shallow’s pretentious cousin and an irascible French doctor. However, her preferred lover, Fenton, does not have her father’s approval, leading to much parental meddling and daughterly disobedience. Will Anne and Fenton succeed in remaining together? Will Falstaff finally learn the error of his ways? And just how far will the Mistresses Page and Ford go to exact revenge on the undisciplined men in their lives? The answers may surprise you!
And to perform it all? Three men (Craig Franklin, Tomas Peter, and Brad “Hamlet” Filippone) and three women (Sonia, Jenn Broda, and Kelly S. Taylor), determined to give you a performance of Shakespeare's work that you will never forget. You thought you knew your Shakespeare? Well, think again! - Summary by Tomas Peter
Cast List:
Tomas Peter: Narrator; Master Page; Host of the Garter Inn; Pistol & William Page.
Brad “Hamlet” Filippone: Sir John Falstaff; Fenton; Rugby & Second Servant to the Fords.
Craig Franklin: Master Ford; Sir Hugh Evans & Justice Shallow.
Sonia: Mistress Page; Doctor Caius & Nym.
Jenn Broda: Mistress Ford; Anne Page; Bardolph & Simple.
Kelly S. Taylor: Mistress Quickly; Slender; Robin & First Servant to the Fords.
(2 hr 52 min)