Seeking something outdoors and community-oriented to do as summer wanes?
Love The Bard and like to support our local theater community? Then look ye no further, for the Jacobethan Theatre Workshop is staging the bawdy Shakespearean comedy The Merry Wives of Windsor in Santa Rosa.
Directed by JTW artistic director Lukas Raphael, the show is being presented in the field adjacent to 6th Street Playhouse through Aug. 24. Concessions are on offer, and one can bring their own food, too. The whole vibe is very cozy and communal. It’s a welcome respite from the troubling times we’re experiencing. Best of all, it’s free (though donations after the show are graciously accepted).
Featuring a large ensemble cast of both seasoned theater vets like Rosie Frater and Liz Jahren, as well as up-and-comers eager to hone their craft, this humble production might just be the ticket back to a simpler time, when folks gathered to actively participate in the revelry that a plucky troupe like this is more than willing to supply. The play, as someone once wrote, is the thing.
The plot is a bit labored and details two bawdy housewives, Mistresses Page and Ford (played with boundless energy and hilarity by Jahren and Frater), plotting to mercilessly shame the wily and debaucherous Falstaff (a simply terrific Justin Thompson), an iconic Shakespeare regular, for his foolish and selfish indiscretions that risk their reputations as good wifely women. If only there were more scenes with these two fabulous actresses, who make it look so easy.
They’re supported handily by Michael Fontaine as Ford’s scheming, distrustful husband and Mariangela Pagán as the duplicitous Mistress Quickly. Other standouts include Anthony Martin as Master Page and the ridiculously foppish Jean-Colin Cameron as Dr. Caius.
Sight gags and innuendos abound in this fanciful play of misdirection and misunderstanding. The packed audience was completely engaged by the performance and the performers, which was heartening to behold. Production values aren’t as polished as may be desired, but this modest company is obviously in the game for the love of it, and that’s about as noble as it gets.
Consider grabbing a cushion and a blanket and getting thee to the meadow anon.
Jacobethan Theatre Workshop presents ‘The Merry Wives of Windsor’ through Aug. 24 outside of 6th Street Playhouse, 52 W. 6th Street, Santa Rosa. Thurs–Sat, 7:30pm; Sun, 6pm. Free.
Guess I wonder when Sonoma will start supporting Professional theatre and expecting more from existing not for profit companies. “For the love of it” is kind of the going rate up here. But then you get what you pay for. No disrespect but let’s start as a community expecting and demanding that theatre companies pay for their artists and then you may see the “rest of the artistic community” that is out there. This volunteer situation…just is a race to the bottom. What other industry managers (producers) expect free labor? Don’t get me wrong there is a place for community theatre… but that is all Sonoma county offers! Community and student productions… Spreckles, 6th Street, Santa Rosa JC, Cinnabar… and countless shakespeare ad naseum, designed for families to support their kids or the same group of 10-20 “regulars”, engaged by their pals to eat up the scenery. Guess this was the last straw, again… for me. Nope Caitlin… not today. Sonoma you deserve better.
Dear Mary
Thank you for your spirited comment. You raise important and valid points, and I welcome the opportunity to discuss them. For us, reviews — whether positive or critical — are valuable because they spark conversation, and conversation is what keeps theater alive.
Yes, it is in fact a shame that there is not an AEA house in Sonoma County anymore. There was. I certainly wish, there were today, and, I can speak as the head of a small company based here, it is very difficult to put on shows with union contracts across the board. It is extremely expensive. And with the financial shocks of the post-COVID time, many artistic endeavors are struggling significantly, particularly with the recent cuts in arts funding on the federal level.
I am going to be as open as I possibly can to illustrate the point. Again, I can only speak for us; we are a young company, but this season, we had no corporate sponsor, no federal or state funding. Our summer season is entirely funded by the generosity of our patrons who give what they can, and feel is appropriate. Our average so far in terms of income (this includes donations and concession income) per show is around $9 per audience member. Our budget for four weeks of FREE theater is around $10,000. 23 actors, directors, designers, building a stage, sets, costumes, etc: 2 full productions of theater for the community, with weeks and months of time in preparation and rehearsal.
We take pride in paying every single artist that works for us the same flat fee. The directors, the actors, the stagehands all receive the same. It’s modest, but we believe every artist deserves recognition for their work, and we entice artists by producing work that is fulfilling, educational and hopefully brings joy to them and our patrons.
Our production team have all worked professionally and hold ourselves and to that standard. And our company’s programming reflects different aspects of theater; we focus on free and accessible theater in the summers with our ‘Shakespeare in the Park(ing Lot)’ series that is designed to bring Shakespeare and classical works to a wider audience. Our ‘Studio’ series, is significantly more concept-driven, what a reviewer called ‘true art-theater’ (Charlsie-Kern Kruger, theatrestorm). These are ticketed and indoor production with vastly higher production value even though we try to keep ticket costs as low as possible. My comment therefore would be, come and see it, judge it yourself.
In regards to your thought of companies producing Shakespeare ‘ad nasuem’, please visit our company website, http://www.jacobethan.org and you will find that we focus on primarily Renaissance plays.
If Shakespeare is not your thing, there are plenty of other productions and producers that do excellent work (Left Edge comes to mind that you did not mention). Support them in a way that they might be able to become a union and professional house. You can donate your time to help fundraise, receive grants and build an audience that will consistently show up and bring the kind of capital that will enable a company to work as a full professional union house.
I have found Sonoma county a place that celebrates local art, artists, and theater. Some of it can be not to my personal taste, some of it is more rough-hewn, and some of it is of a caliber that rivals professional productions that I have seen – and everything in between. I think we should celebrate this.
I would love to invite you this weekend to our production of the Merry Wives, and I would be excited to continue this discussion in more detail.
Warmly,
Lukas Raphael, Artistic Director of the JTW.
Lukas, you gave Mary’s rude, tone-deaf comment much more grace than it deserved. Thanks for modeling that theater folks are best of folks.
Mary’s comment wasn’t rude. It was honest. No one disputes that Sonoma county’s actors, directors, production, and audience members aren’t passionate about their productions, but as someone who has seen plenty of Sonoma county theater productions – it usually feels like community theater productions (with a few excellent exceptions) not that there’s anything wrong with community theater, but I believe it’s not what Mary is trying to communicate that she’s frustrated about.
On the other hand, I also agree with Lucas – it costs a lot of money to produce shows, hire directors and actors that really bring a story to life…and bring in an audience that will pay to see that.