Chameleon Home About Chameleon Directions Past Productions Chameleon Membership and Newsletter
The Merry Wives of Windsor
Written by William Shakespeare
Directed by Carin Bratlie
June 13-29, 2008
Sir John Falstaff Punching Balloons played by Andrew Troth
Fenton, a gentleman Bouquet Flowers played by Andrew Troth
Shallow, a country justice An Old Mop played by Anna Sundberg
Slender, cousin to Shallow Whisk Broom played by Andrew Troth
Master Ford Bellows played by Megan Engeseth
Master Page Handkerchief played by Anissa Brazil
Sir Hugh Evans, a Welsh parson Sock played by Anna Sundberg
Doctor Caius, a French physician Shoe played by Andrew Troth
The Host Beer Stein played by Anna Sundberg
Bardolph Balloon Shape B played by Tamara Philbrick
Pistol Balloon Shape P played by Tamara Philbrick
Nim Balloon Shape N played by Tamara Philbrick
Robin Thimble played by Bailey Troth
Simple, servant to Slender Umbrella played by Anna Sundberg
Rugby, servant to Doctor Caius Rug played by Trish Fike
Mistress Ford Lantern played by Megan Engeseth
Mistress Page Fan played by Anissa Brazil
Anna Page, her daughter Opera Glove played by Tamara Philbrick
Mistress Quickly, servant to Doctor Caius Corset played by Trish Fike
John, servant to Ford Fork played by Trish Fike
Robert, servant to Ford Spoon played by Trish Fike
Stage Manager   Kerri Eldred
Stage Hand   Michelle Dougherty
Props   Mark Steffer
Sound Design   Rick Raasch
Producers   Garrick Dietze, Bradley Donaldson

The Merry Wives of Windsor will be performed at the following dates and locations:

There is no cost for admission for The Merry Wives of Windsor. All performances take place outdoors - bring dinner and watch the show! Don't forget a blanket or lawn chair!


The Merry Wives of Windsor is one of the best loved of Shakespeare's comedies and also contains the highest proportion of prose of any of his plays. Its central character is Falstaff who had been a roaring success with audiences in Henry IV Part I and Part II, although in this incarnation he bears little resemblance to his previous character. This may have been performed or at least written for the occasion of the installation of Lord Hunsdon as a knight of the Garter on 23 April 1597, although John Dennis a century later claimed that the bard had written the play on the order of Elizabeth I who wished to see Falstaff in love. Some place the play's creation as late as 1601 however. In printed form the play exists in the 'bad' quarto text of 1602 and in the much more substantial Folio of 1623 (the version that includes Garter Feast references).

The play involves the ritual humiliation of Sir John Falstaff who is flirting with two married women for financial gain. Falstaff sends identical love letters to Mrs. Ford and Mrs. Page and he ends up thrown in a dirty ditch and beaten while in disguise as the 'fat woman of Brainford' by Mr. Ford. His final embarrassment at Herne's oak is the worst, however. While all this goes on there is the matter of Page's daughter to be dealt with. Her three suitors (Doctor Caius, Slender and young Fenton) try to win the approval of her parents but the true lover of Anne Page ends up the victor in hilarious circumstances.

Copyright © 1998-2009 • The Chameleon Theatre Circle • Burnsville, Minnesota