Shakespeare’s "The Merry Wives of Windsor"
Opens January 30th at Trinity Rep

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Trinity Repertory Theatre in Providence continues its 40th anniversary season with William Shakespeare’s romp “The Merry Wives of Windsor,” beginning January 30th  in the Chace Theater. Trinity Rep’s newest offering comes complete with romantic intrigue, gossip and innuendo. Kevin Moriarty directs an all-star cast of Trinity company members, with Fred Sullivan, Jr. as Falstaff.

With a wink and a nod to local humor, Shakespeare meets contemporary culture head-on in this pop-infused production.  “The Windsor” has been transformed into a ritzy apartment building where the merry wives are bored socialite neighbors. When celebrity playboy Falstaff moves in upstairs, the games begin.

Meanwhile a string of reality–TV worthy bachelors line up to woo the young Anne, much to her dismay. The ladies' jealous husbands, the devious Mistress Quickly and assorted cohorts dish the dirt at the café across the street amidst slamming doors, lovers in disguise and wild chases.

“Within every great play and every production lies the one driving reason to do it,” commented director Kevin Moriarty. “Making people laugh is a noble pursuit, and Shakespeare certainly shared it. Now more than ever, it’s good to laugh at how silly we all are. Certain plays suit our acting company really, really well. ‘Merry Wives' fits them perfectly”

Director Kevin Moriarty most recently directed the Cutler Emerson Majestic production of “A Christmas Carol” starring Stacy Keach, and last season’s production of “Nickel and Dimed” at Trinity Rep, where he is an Artistic Associate and the Head of Directing for the Brown University/Trinity Rep Consortium MFA program. Fred Sullivan (Falstaff), in his 20th Season at Trinity Rep, was last seen as James Tyrone Jr. in “A Moon for the Misbegotten.”

Since its founding in 1964, Trinity Repertory Company has earned a reputation as one of the most respected regional theaters in the country. Led by artistic director Oskar Eustis and managing director Edgar Dobie, Trinity Rep presents a balance of world premiere, contemporary and classic works, including seven subscription productions, an annual production of “A Christmas Carol,” and the Trinity Summer Shakespeare Project, for an estimated annual audience of 200,000.

In its 40-year history, the theater has produced nearly 50 world premieres. Project Discovery, Trinity Rep's pioneering educational outreach program launched in 1966 and now sponsored by Fleet, introduces more than 30,000 Rhode Island and Massachusetts students to live theater each year.

Trinity Rep’s 40th season continues with “Hughie” by Eugene O’Neill; “A Pound On Demand,” by Sean O’Casey; “West Side Story,” by Arthur Laurents, Leonard Bernstein, and Stephen Sondheim; and “The Ruby Sunrise” by Rinne Groff.

Information and tickets are available by calling 401-351-4242 or at www.trinityrep.com.

-- OnStage Boston

1/16/04