by Patrick White
Sometimes a trip to the theatre due to its transitory nature and “you had to be there” uniqueness is just a little bit extra. I feel like I got a super sized Shakespeare in the Woods experience with their fun production of Merry Wives on the lawn at the Equinox Hotel in Manchester, VT.
First, it wouldn’t be theater if you didn’t see friends in the audience and backstage even if you are an hour and a half away from home so greetings were exchanged with Ashley working box office and Andrew Vroman taking a busman’s holiday from his weekend job of playing Angelo in Will Kempe’s Players’ gripping production of Measure for Measure. You meet the best people at the theater!
Then, it wouldn’t be outdoor theater if you didn’t have to contend with the elements a bit so we endured a steady drizzle accompanied by a light infestation of mosquitoes through the first half of the 90 minute play.
Finally, we were treated to a free, funky, fabulous Merry Wives which gave us a drag queen Mistress Page (indispensable Antony Terrell), a pansexual Falstaff (James Canfield sashaying delightfully) or a lovely young actor, Sandy Borreno who didn’t seem to need Shakespeare’s prose to communicate and garner loud laughs playing three characters.
Shakespeare’s class comedy takes down the foolish knight Falstaff (revived by the playwright from his appearance in Henry IV due to his overwhelming popularity) who is a profligate clown who has set his sights on Mistresses Page and Ford (the appealing Fran Tapia) and their husband’s riches. He foolishly or lazily writes them identical love letters which, when discovered, are fuel for the women’s revenge on him.
SitW’s heightened camp production has a nightclub feel with electronic music opening the show (sound design and composer Elsa Kennedy), neon bars flanking the stage (lighting design by Mike Mitrano) and especially the flash and sparkle of Kat M. Ibasco’s costume design. The director and adaptor Jaz Hall, choreographer Sandy Borreno and their co-director Robert Di Donato keep the cast of nine running, jumping and jiving so there was nary a pause in the antic scheming of this bawdy soap opera.
Shakespeare in the Woods presents “Merry Wives”, adapted from William Shakespeare’s “The Merry Wives of Windsor” and directed by Jaz Hall, outdoors at The Taconic Lawn at The Equinox Resort & Spa. 
Shakespeare in the Woods presents “Merry Wives”, adapted from William Shakespeare’s “The Merry Wives of Windsor” and directed by Jaz Hall, outdoors at The Taconic Lawn at The Equinox Resort & Spa. 
Shakespeare in the Woods presents “Merry Wives”, adapted from William Shakespeare’s “The Merry Wives of Windsor” and directed by Jaz Hall, outdoors at The Taconic Lawn at The Equinox Resort & Spa. 
And if that weren’t enough, Thursday was also a Queer Affinity Night where the queer company creates a space for their LGBTQIA+ artists and audiences to meaningfully connect over SitW’s approach to Shakespeare and how their identity informs and enriches the theatre experience. A talkback was moderated by the Founder and Producing Artistic Director Katharine Maness who also played Doctor Caius and I was very moved to hear from the entire cast but especially from Canfield and Kennedy who also played Sir Hugh who has a heated attraction to Caius about the freedom they felt creating with this company.
James Canfield recounted that some friends had described him in the past as Falstaffian, “which might have been a backhanded compliment” but that after some training which had a very structured restriction he finally “felt the freedom to be as much of myself as possible.” His joy and effervescent spirit shined in the night.
Shakespeare in the Woods presents “Merry Wives”, adapted from William Shakespeare’s “The Merry Wives of Windsor” and directed by Jaz Hall, outdoors at The Taconic Lawn at The Equinox Resort & Spa, 3567 Main Street in Manchester, VT, August 12-30, 2026. CAST: James Canfield (he/him) as Fallstaff; Fran Tapia (she/her) as Emcee Ford, Antony Terrell (they/them) as Emcee Page, Deychen Volino-Gyetsa (she/her) as Peacock Page/Mz. Quickly, Sandy Borrero (she/her) as Anne Page/Robin/Pistol, Tatiana Graves-Kochuthara (she/her) as Fenton/Host/John, Elsa Kennedy (they/she) as Sir Hugh/Robin, Jesse B. Koehler (he/him) as Peacock Ford/Simple, Katharine Maness (they/them) as Doctor Caius/Nym. CREATIVE TEAM: Co-director Robert Di Donato, Sound Design and Original Music Composer Elsa Kennedy (they/she), Production Stage Manager Lucy Roberts (she/her), Assistant Stage Manager Beatrice Feldbush (she/her), Lighting Design Mike Mitrano (he/him), Lead Costume Design Kat Ibasco (she/her), Movement Choreography Sandy Borrero, Intimacy Choreography Greta Zandstra (she/they/he), Set Design Lines, Production Associate Angie Calfa (she/they), Additional Script Edits Lucy Roberts and Roberto Di Donato, Dramaturgy Anne E. Kelly (she/her).
CONTENT WARNINGS: Sexual and lewd innuendo. This production uses slow effect strobe lighting.
RECOMMENDED AGE 13+