Shakespeare in the Park is back with Merry Wives

The epitome of being in New York is going to Shakespeare in the Park. With the theater scene slowly reopening, Shakespeare in the Park has become a hot ticket, with people queuing up for hours to secure a ticket. 

This year Shakespeare in the Park is Merry Wives, which has been a surprising success with the play encompassing many aspects of Central Park into their production. The final scene incorporating much of the surrounding landscape of the Delacorte Theater.

The Public Theater has been presenting Shakespeare in the Park annually for the past 30 years. This summer the tradition has continued with the presentation of Merry Wives.

Merry Wives is one of Shakespeare’s lesser-known plays, but is very entertaining as one of his more humorous comedies.

The premise of The Merry Wives of Windsor revolves around the character John Falstaff, also known as the Fat Knight. 

The Public Theater’s version of this play has been modernized so instead of being based in Windsor the characters are based in Harlem New York.

The Fat Knight, John Falstaff (Jacob Ming-Trent), arrives in town very short of money and decides that he is going to pursue the romances between two very wealthy ladies of the town, Mistress Ford (Jennifer Mogbock) and Mistress Page (Kyle Scarliffe).

The unfortunate situation with Mistress Ford and Page is that they both become aware of the identical letters sent to each other by Flagstaff. This results in a plot between both ladies with humorous plans devised as revenge on Flagstaff.

Adapted by Jocelyn Bioh, this version of Merry Wives, is engaging and very funny, almost comical and slapstick humor with the translating of the production into modern day Harlem. There is the underlying presence of Black Lives Matter and references made to the social injustices that have occurred over the last eighteen months. But that aside, this is probably the most relevant and accurate version of the Shakespearean play.

Directed by Saheem Ali, The Public Theater’s version of The Merry Wives of Windsor, is a tale that fits perfectly into the life of African Americans as they try to exist in Harlem. There is something about this adaption of the play that makes it feel relevant but also a humorous. Given the current global situation with the pandemic many people are looking for humor as an escape and this works very well with the Shakespearean classic.

The set design of this production does need special mention as it works perfectly with the outdoor setting of the Delacorte Theater in Central Park. One moment you are transported to a block in Harlem. But the final scene with the lighting of the trees in the surrounding park is really something special and a magical way to return to theater after a hiatus due to the pandemic.

The entire cast of Merry Wives works beautifully as an ensemble. 

The choreography of this production will make you want to dance in your seat. There is something mesmerizing about the dance sequences that makes you want to get up and shake off dramas of the last couple of years.

Stand out for me is Jacob Min-Trent as Sir John Falstaff. He is just so funny in the role. There are moments where he has the entire audience captivated with his antics in the laundry, but also his scene in the last act, you can’t help but laugh at his performance.

Whether you are a fan of Shakespeare or just love the art of live performance, Merry Wives at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park has something for everyone. There is gender swapping of roles, Black Lives Matter and LGBT references. But what I loved most about this production is the equal representation and a number of same-sex romances that occur surprisingly in this production and how they work perfectly with the Shakespearean text.

Merry Wives is currently playing at the Delacorte Theater and tickets are free and available by lining up daily at the Box Office.