‘Merry Wives’ Taunt Falstaff, Harlem-Style, at STC
In Merry Wives, now on stage at Shakespeare Theatre Company, playwright Jocelyn Bioh and director Taylor Reynolds offer a jubilant, Harlem-set reimagining of Shakespeare’s The Merry Wives of Windsor — and for the most part, it works. Brimming with energy, cultural specificity, and sharp humor, the production is a welcome injection of joy into the fall theatre calendar.
Bioh (Jaja’s African Hair Braiding) transplants the Bard’s original to a contemporary Harlem teeming with African diasporic flavor. Here, the infamous Falstaff, short on cash but not on confidence, sets his sights on two well-to-do West African women, Madam Ford (Felicia Curry) and Madam Page (Oneika Phillips), hoping to woo his way into their wallets. The two wives, seasoned in the art of male nonsense, plot his comeuppance with precision and flair.
While there is more to the story overall, these merry wives are the heart and soul of the production. Curry, a beloved DC stage staple, is razor-sharp and delightfully conspiratorial as Ford. She brings a grounded charisma to the role, expertly balancing sly wit with sisterly solidarity. Phillips, with Broadway polish and infectious charm, matches Curry beat for beat as Page. Together, the duo radiates warmth, cunning, and camaraderie, anchoring the comedy in something deeper than slapstick: a community’s self-knowledge and pride.
The wives exist in a Harlem that is not a backdrop, but a living, breathing community. The ensemble cast, filled with dynamic performers that represent the full spectrum of the African diaspora, evokes a neighborhood block party with Shakespeare in the center. The result is a high-energy, movement-rich celebration of Black joy — with a little mischief added in.
But… let’s talk Falstaff. Reynolds’s direction for him leans into the absurd, and for some in the audience, the absurdity is awesome.
In lesser hands, the character of Falstaff is a tired buffoon; here, he’s a scene-stealer. With every overblown boast and misguided advance, Jacob Ming-Trent (Falstaff) wins the audience over even as he stumbles deeper into farce. His physical comedy, whether hiding in absurd disguises or reacting to buckets of public shame, lands with just enough humanity to keep the performance from slipping into caricature. You laugh at him, sure, but also, begrudgingly, with him.
Falstaff plays the fool, but as you’d expect from Shakespeare, everyone gets a little tricked in the end. That’s the best part.
If you need some naughtiness and joy in your life, catch Merry Wives before it wraps on October 5th. See it for the rhythm it’ll put in your step; for its Falstaff; and for the simple pleasure of seeing Black women outwit a man who thinks charm is a checkbook.