Shakespeare’s comedy “The Merry Wives of Windsor” has made its way to Seton Hill University’s (SHU) Reeves Theatre. According to SHU Office of Public Information, the student cast and crew will put on the show that is rumored to be commissioned by Queen Elizabeth herself.
“It’s Old English but with a spin,” said Matt Mlynarski, a sophomore who is playing the role of Slender.
By Bethany Merryman,
Staff Writer
Shakespeare’s comedy “The Merry Wives of Windsor” has made its way to Seton Hill University’s (SHU) Reeves Theatre. According to SHU Office of Public Information, the student cast and crew will put on the show that is rumored to be commissioned by Queen Elizabeth herself.
“It’s Old English but with a spin,” said Matt Mlynarski, a sophomore who is playing the role of Slender.
Natalie Moretti, a sophomore who plays Mistress Ford in the show, explained the spin and said, “We are suppose to look and act like cartoons, we even rip our props off of the stage for a fun effect.”
Chelsea Oliver photo
Ryan Carroll, Jamie Torres, Victoria Serra, Chelsea Bloom, Laura Barron, and Amanda Bish rehearse for the Merry Wives of Windsor.
“Seems the Queen was a big fan of would-be philanderer Falstaff, who charmed audiences in two other Shakespearean plays. Now, as fond as Falstaff is of the female form, his real pursuits are not so much the corset laces as the purse strings. But his chicanery is no match for these wily wives,” said SHU Office of Public Information.
SHU Office of Public Information said, “They’re on to his act and what follows is an Elizabethan blast!”
“We have been preparing since before Christmas break and rehearsal has been underway for about two months all together,” said Moretti.
Stage manager Jeanette Lundell, a sophomore, is in charge of making sure things run smoothly for everyone. “You have a lot of things thrown at you and it is difficult sometimes to keep your cool and your composure,” said Lundell.
“The biggest thrill of being stage manager is knowing that things may not go perfect as planned, but it will all work out – the show must go on and you can’t scream ‘hold’ and go back to make changes,” said Lundell.
The show opened February 29 and shows until March 8 at Reeves Theatre. The cast is thrilled for opening night, “My favorite thing about live theatre is that every show is different,” said Moretti.
“It’s all about being someone else and taking yourself out of the normal elements,” said Mlynarski.
While so much goes into the preparation of the production, the final product is worth the time and work that is put into it.
“Because we rehearse so much, it’s [the nerves] not bad. It’s more excitement by that time. Plus feeling a bond, any bond, with the audience is an amazing feeling,” said Moretti.
Along with the entertainment aspects, the production serves as an education to the cast and crew. “Being a stage manager is totally different from being in the cast, but it still will help in the career of being actor or actress. As you sit there for the 16 million rehearsals you watch your peers act and you analyze and learn from their acting process,” said Lundell.