Author: Wichita Shakespeare Company

Wichita Shakespeare Company presents Merry Wives of Windsor

The Merry Wives of Windsor
Presented by Wichita Shakespeare Company

The Wichita Shakespeare Company (WSC) closes its 2024 Shakespeare-in-the-Park series with The Merry Wives of Windsor. One of the Bard’s frothiest comedies, the play focuses on the roguish Sir John Falstaff as he flirts and woos two married women in the town of Windsor.

The production is directed by veteran WSC director and Board Member, Ben Blankley. The impressive cast assembled for the show includes Ed Belsan as Falstaff, Kevin Sowers as Master Ford, Kristen Moody as Mistress Ford, and Rachael Foster as Mistress Page. Others in the cast include Dan Schuster, Anna Bohr, Kylie Foster, Jaxson Mannis, Sam Hibarger, Chris Welborn, Dalton Nelson, Monty Phelps, Caitlyn West, and Edward Emerson Kerbs.

All shows will begin at 7:00 pm, with an approximate running time of one hour and forty-five minutes. As always, the play is performed free to all audiences but donations are accepted and appreciated. Those attending are encouraged to bring lawn chairs or blankets for seating and, of course, bug spray. Shakespeare-in-the-Park returns to the very popular Central Riverside, College Hill, and Buffalo parks in Wichita. Parks in Derby, Andover, and Park City complete the schedule. Additionally, a special inside performance will be held at University Friends Church. Seating will be provided for the inside performance. In the event of inclement weather, there will be a message posted at 6 pm on the WSC line (316-655-2017) alerting if the show has been cancelled for that evening.

Exact park/performance locations and dates are as follows:

Sept 13th …Central Riverside Park, Wichita
Sept 14th …Central Riverside Park, Wichita
Sept 15th …Andover Sports Park
Sept 20th …College Hill Park, Wichita
Sept 21st …Hap McLean Park, Park City
Sept 22nd …High Park Amphitheater, Derby
Sept 27th …Buffalo Park, Wichita
Sept 28th …College Hill Park, Wichita
Sept 29th …University Friends Church, Wichita

Auditions for Merry Wives of Windsor

Auditions for the September production of “Merry Wives of Windsor” will be Saturday, July 13 from 1-4pm and Sunday, July 14 from 1-4pm at University Friends Meeting, 1840 W University St, Wichita, KS 67213.

This is a primarily outdoor production, and actors should be prepared for being outdoors in Kansas in late August and September. Rehearsals will be Tuesday through Friday evenings in the month of August.

All roles are available. Cold reads from the script will be used for auditions. WSC is open to casting new actors, new-to-the-park actors, and roles are open to all genders and ethnicities, age 14 and up. You may attend one or both days of auditions.

There are 18 roles available. In particular, we need three strong actors playing middle aged women, three strong actors playing middle aged men, and three strong actors playing middle aged people of any gender.

Performances will be Friday through Sunday at 7pm, September 13th through September 29th, 2024.

The abridged script being used is available at the following link. Edited by Jane Tanner.

Directed by Ben Blankley

If you have any questions about auditions, you may FB message either WSC or Ben Blankley.

https://www.wichitashakespearecompany.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/merry-wives-abridged-dir.pdf