DC Theater Arts - Highly Recommended
"... The riotous romp, the scandalous show, the hilarious hyjinx is making its way to the tail end of the Shakespeare Theatre Company’s 25th Anniversary Season with William Shakespeare’s crackpot comedy The Merry Wives of Windsor. When attempting to juggle two women it is never a good idea to send them the same identical word-for-word love letter, especially not when these two women are good friends. Especially not when these two women are married. And especially not when these two women will plot revenge. The laughable tale of Sir John Falstaff, an impoverished, rotund knight, sets afire to the stage when he attempts to woo the two merry wives of Windsor. But inevitably his plan backfires leaving him drowned, beaten, and eventually cuckolded. With amorous side plots and general tomfoolery this show is a fantastic way to close the anniversary season."
MetroWeekly - Highly Recommended
"... Though it is without doubt intended to please the hopeless anglophile –and slides in just in time for the post-Jubilee afterglow of the alarm clock-setting crowd –the Shakespeare Theatre Company's The Merry Wives of Windsor charms universally. It's a sweet-hearted production housing a surprisingly rock-solid dose of skillfully delivered Shakespeare."
WeLoveDC - Not Recommended
"...I’ve been putting off my review of Shakespeare Theater Company’s The Merry Wives of Windsor because there’s nothing less joyful than writing a mediocre review. But Director Stephen Rayne and the other folks involved clearly invested a full 20 or 30 minutes of thought into the production so I owe them as much of my time writing about it."
Washington City Paper - Somewhat Recommended
"... Amid all of this affectation—it’s like there’s a competition to be the most off-kilter character—Shakespeare’s clever wordplay is lost. This might work in, say, a Restoration comedy. But in Merry Wives, the main plot is supposed to be the most ludicrous: A 300-pound aging knight is attempting to woe not one but two well-heeled ladies, and make off with their husband’s fortunes. In short, he is supposed to be delusional. David Schramm, the venerable actor playing Falstaff, offers an excellent, straightforward interpretation of the role. He also appears, in this production, to be the sanest, most consistent character onstage. Whether that is Shakespeare’s problem or the Shakespeare Theatre’s problem is a matter critics of literature and theater will continue to debate."
Washingtonian - Somewhat Recommended
"... Director Stephen Rayne sets Merry Wives in Edwardian England, possibly to raise questions about class structure and a hierarchical society, and possibly to encourage rabid fans of Downton Abbey to leave the comfort of their sofas for an evening out. Either way, the production revolves around Falstaff (David Schramm), an obese, poverty-stricken drunkard who nonetheless decides the key to his future prosperity lies in seducing two of Windsor’s most handsome married women and making off with their money. In modern terms, it’s as if Donald Trump, upon losing all his wealth in some shady subprime investments, attempted to regain some of his social status by shacking up with Heidi Klum and Gisele Bundchen."
BrightestYoungThings - Highly Recommended
"... Merry Wives of Windsor is now showing at the Shakespeare Theatre Company until July 15 in the beautiful Sydney Harman Hall. Directed by British director Stephen Rayne, the production is full of strong performances, incredible set designs and gorgeous costumes. Thought to have been hurriedly written by Shakespeare in honor of a special event, Merry Wives is considered to be one of Shakespeare's weaker plays, yet the plot is nevertheless amusing in addition to remaining historically important: Merry Wives was his only play directly set within the politics and society of middle-class Elizabethan England."
ShowBizRadio - Highly Recommended
"... And thus we have Shakespeare Theatre Company’s current production of The Merry Wives of Windsor,the 2012 regional Tony Award winning adaptation, whose screwball comic events transpire in 1919 as English women get full voting privileges. Director Stephen Rayne combines a splendid cast, marvelous set and consummate technical direction to present a fine night of entertainment with lots of laughs; generating a new respect outside the academy for a good Shakespearean laugharama."
MD Theatre Guide - Recommended
"... All in all, The Merry Wives of Windsor is a fantastic production, with a huge ensemble cast that expertly juggles almost three hours and several plots while continuing to entertain. Shakespeare productions are so dependant on the actors and the director to make the words and story relevant to a modern English-speaking audience, and that it works is a triumph for director Stephen Rayne. There is nothing better than seeing a play done by consummate professionals."
DCTheatreScene - Highly Recommended
Director Stephen Rayne and his creative team have smoothly transplanted Shakespeare’s story from the 16th century to post-WWI England, creating a fresh context for the well known comic business.
