Directed by Dawn Monique Williams

Windsor is a close knit town filled with gossips. The latest whisperings center around the marital status of Anne Page, daughter of one of the richest families in town. Old Justice Shallow thinks their nephew, Slender should would be the best match, though Slender himself seems less than enthusiastic. Mistress Page, Anne's mother, thinks she should marry the rich (if eccentric) Dr. Caius. But no one is asking what Anne wants!

Meantime, Sir John Falstaff's arrival in Windsor seems to have brought chaos and trouble to the town, especially for his entourage of followers who are quickly booted from his charge. With his financial situation becoming dire, Falstaff devises a plan to woo two wealthy women, Mistress Ford and Mistress Page, in hopes of securing some much-needed money.

Left without his usual followers, Falstaff turns to the youngest member of his group, Robin, to take on the task of delivering a love letter to each of the wives. It becomes clear that Falstaff is determined to pursue his plan to win the affections of these wealthy women, regardless of the consequences or the feelings of those around him.

Upon receiving two identical letters, the wives are not pleased with Falstaff's audacity. Together, with the help of local busybody Mistress Quickly, they scheme to turn the tables on him and teach him a lesson for his inappropriate, presumptive advances. In a clever and mischievous plan, they pretend to respond dotingly to Falstaff, even though they can't stand the sight of him.

Meanwhile, Pistol and Nym, two of Falstaff's ex followers, decide to take revenge on Falstaff for deserting them by warning Master Ford and Master Page about Falstaff's intentions with their wives. While Master Page trusts his wife fully, Master Ford is filled with suspicion and doubt regarding his wife's loyalty.

In a fit of jealousy and insecurity, Master Ford concocts a plan to catch his supposedly unfaithful wife in the act. He convinces the Host at the Garter Inn, a local watering hole, to call him by the name 'Brooke' while he is in disguise. This disguise will allow him to confront Falstaff without being recognized, ensuring that he can witness the truth of his wife's fidelity.

In the continued (and confusing) fight for Anne's heart, Dr. Caius challenges Sir Hugh Evans to a duel. The townsfolk, aware of the potential chaos and harm that could result from such a duel, decide to intervene. They mislead Dr. Caius and Evans by providing them with different locations for the duel, keeping them apart and preventing any confrontation.

While this is happening, Anne has her own forbidden love interest, young Fenton, whom her parents disapprove of. Determined to be with Fenton, Anne seeks help from Mistress Quickly.

Back on the other side of town, Master Ford, now disguised as "Brooke," arrives at the Inn and confesses to Falstaff that he is in love with Mistress Ford, but cannot afford to court her properly. As a solution, he offers to pay Falstaff to try and seduce her, intending to see if his wife remains faithful. However, Falstaff already has plans with Mistress Ford and quickly leaves to meet her. This development fuels Ford's jealousy and suspicion. Consumed by rage, Ford decides to follow Falstaff and Mistress Ford, hoping to catch them in the act of infidelity.

Upon arriving at Mistress Ford's home, Falstaff is startled to find both Mistress Ford and Mistress Page. After Master Ford comes home in a suspicious rage, the two women come up with a clever plan to hide Falstaff in a basket of dirty laundry. Falstaff agrees to hide from Ford in the basket, thinking it will help him escape unscathed. However, once he's in place, the women quickly have the contents of the basket – Falstaff included - dumped into the nearby river.

Falstaff returns to the Inn, dejected and soaked, and immediately hits the bottle. Mistress Quickly arrives with a message from Mistress Ford, inviting Falstaff to meet her again. As Falstaff prepares meet Mistress Ford once more, he is unexpectedly intercepted by Brooke (Master Ford). “Brooke" learns of Falstaff's plans to meet Mistress Ford for the second time, and becomes even more determined to catch him in the act.

At Mistress Ford's home, the two cunning wives trick Falstaff into believing that Master Ford is returning in a fit of jealous rage. Terrified of being thrown into the river again, Falstaff pleads with the wives not to expose him to Master Ford. To help him escape detection, the quick-thinking wives convince him to dress up as an old woman. When Master Ford arrives preparing to catch his wife in the act of infidelity, he mistakes the now disguised Falstaff him for the woman of Brentford, whom he despises. Falstaff endures the blows (literally) and humiliation, all the while maintaining his disguise, even while being beaten up and thrown out of the house by Ford.

Eventually, the wives reveal the tricks they played on Falstaff to their husbands. Instead of being angry, the husbands find the whole situation rather amusing and decide to join in on the fun for one last trick on Falstaff. They come up with a plan to have Falstaff meet the wives by the old oak tree in the forest, under the pretense of yet another romantic encounter. However, this time, the town's children, dressed as fairies, will be hiding in the forest to scare Falstaff and teach him a final lesson.

As instructed by the wives, Falstaff arrives in the woods dressed as "Herne, the Hunter," complete with horns on his head. Unbeknownst to him, the whole town is in on the prank and disguised as fairies. They scare Falstaff by pinching him and burning him with candles, causing him to panic and reveal his true cowardly nature.

Dr. Caius and Slender make their way to the forest, both having been tricked by Anne Page. Anne had promised them that she would be dressed in green (for Dr. Caius) or in white (for Slender) so they could elope with her. However, it is revealed that in the midst of all the trickery, Anne and Fenton have secretly eloped and are now married. Quickly after, the misunderstandings are cleared up, and the Page family finally accepts Fenton as their son-in-law. The play culminates in a merry celebration, emphasizing the importance of love, friendship, and reconciliation.

Date: August 17-September 3, 2023

Time: 7:30pm (Except Mondays)

Cost: Free

Location:
Edgerton Park,
75 Cliff Street,
New Haven, CT 06511.

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