Get a first look at Shakespeare Theatre Company's current production of Merry Wives, adapted by Jocelyn Bioh and directed by Taylor Reynolds, in the photo gallery below. Performances continue through October 5 in STC’s Harman Hall in Washington, D.C.
Felicia Curry and Oneika Phillips play the merry wives, Madam Ford and Madam Page, respectively, joined by Jacob Ming-Trent as Falstaff, Nick Rashad Burroughs as Mister Ford, JaBen Early as Mister Page, Peyton Rowe as Anne Page, Latoya Edwards as Fenton and Simple, Craig Wallace as Shallow, Kelli Blackwell as Mama Quickly, and Bru Aju as Slender/Pistol with Jordan Barbour, Sekou Laidlow, Rebecca Celeste, and Shaka Zu.
Understudies are Saron Araia, Edmée-Marie Faal, Terrance Fleming, Joshua Oluwatofunmi Olujide, and Tyrone Stanley.
In Merry Wives, William Shakespeare’s farce gets a joyful spin from playwright Bioh (Jaja’s African Hair Braiding), dropping the debaucherous Falstaff into the melting pot of modern Harlem.
Felicia Curry and Oneika Phillips in Merry Wives
Oneika Phillips and Felicia Curry in Merry Wives
Jacob Ming-Trent and Kelli Blackwell in Merry Wives
Company of Merry Wives
Jacob Ming-Trent, Felicia Curry, and Oneika Phillips in Merry Wives
Jacob Ming-Trent in Merry Wives
Felicia Curry, Jacob Ming-Trent, and Oneika Phillips in Merry Wives
Felicia Curry, Jordan Barbour, Nick Rashad Burroughs, Sekou Laidlow, and JaBen Early in Merry Wives
Company of Merry Wives
Company of Merry Wives
Peyton Rowe and Latoya Edwards in Merry Wives
“I’m thrilled to have visionary director Taylor Reynolds make her STC debut with Jocelyn Bioh’s playful take on The Merry Wives of Windsor, a joyful way to kick-off our 40th Anniversary Season,” said STC Artistic Director Simon Godwin in an earlier statement. “It promises to be a season of reimagined classics, fresh perspectives on familiar stories, and exciting new collaborations."
“Merry Wives is a vibrant play centering characters from across the African diaspora in Harlem, New York,” added director Reynolds. “Being able to direct this production with Black characters onstage living their best lives, embracing joy and freedom of expression, is a precious gift. The cast we've put together is out of this world and I cannot wait to build this spirited world of humor, music, and movement with them."
Bioh’s Merry Wives, the playwright's adaptation of Shakespeare's The Merry Wives of Windsor, debuted on PBS stations in 2022; the production was recorded in summer 2021 at The Public Theater’s Free Shakespeare in the Park.
The STC creative team also includes scenic designer Lawrence Moten III, costume designer Ivania Stack, lighting designer Jeanette Oi-Suk Yew, sound designer and composer Mikaal Sulaiman, wig and hair designer Nikiya Mathis, voice and dialect coach Dawn-Elin Fraser, and choreographer Ashleigh King. Casting is by STC Resident Casting Director Danica Rodriguez.
The production stage manager is Laura Smith, and the assistant stage managers are Stephen Bubniak and Jazzy Davis.
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