‘Merry Wives’ opens festival

According to legend, a minor character in Shakespeare’s historical plays proved to be so popular that audience members (including Queen Elizabeth) demanded he bring the character back.

This was inconvenient considering that Sir John Falstaff had died in “Henry V.” But in the theater, anything is possible. Shakespeare built a whole new play around the character and set it 200 years later.

“The Merry Wives of Windsor,” this summer’s presentation at the Heart of America Shakespeare Festival, is one of the Bard’s sillier and bawdier efforts. It is a wacky farce that has served as a template for countless situation comedies since first appearing in 1602.

Phil Fiorini is terrific as the portly knight whose oversized appetite for food and drink is matched only by his libido. New in Windsor and short of cash, he decides to seduce two wealthy married women, Mistress Ford (Jan Rogge) and Mistress Page (Karen Errington).

But these clever ladies turn the tables on the avaricious fellow. They set him up for a fall that will also embarrass Mistress Ford’s inordinately jealous husband (John Rensenhouse).

Director Sidonie Garrett puts the emphasis on kinetic energy, instructing her gifted actors to give excessively broad performances. While things often seem a bit too overstated, this cartoonish approach works just fine for the goofy material, especially for those seated far from the stage.

While the action is as subtle as a sledgehammer, there are some standout performances. Fiorini nails Falstaff’s unapologetic gluttony for life, and Robert Gibby Brand is splendid as the cocky French physician, Dr. Caius.

As usual, the costumes are sumptuous and the production values are fine at the festival’s outdoor facility.

“The Merry Wives of Windsor” is diverting enough that the occasional hovering helicopter or passing fire truck is not too great a distraction.

“The Merry Wives of Windsor” runs through July 6 at Southmoreland Park, 7th and Oak streets, Kansas City, Mo. For information, visit www.kcshakes.org.

SPEECH & DEBATE

A talented young actress named Lauretta Pope has taken a great part and turned it into a comic whirlwind in “Speech & Debate,” currently playing at the Unicorn Theatre.

Luckily, her co-stars are equally good and they all flourish under the crack (and slightly cracked) guidance of the abnormally gifted director Missy Koonce.

Stephen Karam’s entertaining comic drama focuses on three teenagers attending high school in Salem, Ore.

Diwata (Pope) is a wannabe drama queen who posts wild, improvised video blogs. Solomon (Doogin Brown) thinks of himself as an investigative reporter for the school newspaper and wants to uncover the dirt on the sexually promiscuous drama teacher. Howie (Tosin Morohunfola) is a recent transfer student who would like to form a gay-straight alliance.

They come together in a very “au courant” way, via the Internet. As the action plays itself out, we learn about the characters’ secrets as they navigate the minefield of societal mores and hypocrisies that helped bring them together in the first place.

These three characters form an unusual bond as they attempt to make sense of some of the absurdities of modern life.

Although Karam’s script is sometimes repetitious and is a good 30 minutes too long, it is full of snappy, funny dialogue that has a ring of authenticity.

The always-reliable Kathleen Warfel steals her scenes in two funny roles, one as a harried teacher and the other as a reporter who exploits the kids.

“Speech & Debate” serves as a knowing glimpse into contemporary teen angst.

“Speech & Debate” runs through July 12 at the Unicorn Theatre, 3828 Main, Kansas City, Mo. For information, call (816) 531-7529.

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