One of Shakespeare's most famous characters is Falstaff, and he stars in The Merry Wives of Windsor, now being presented by Marshall University's Dept. of Theatre.
Playing the part in this production is my pal Mike Murdock, a terrific actor and a heck of a nice guy (that's him on the left in this photo from the Herald-Dispatch photo gallery) . We fired a few questions at him about the show, and here's what he had to say:
Q: Give us a recap of this show...
A: The show is a complete farce. It's ridiculous on every level. It's not your typical Shakespearian "kind of funny, kind of moody" comedy. It's got eccentric characters and all sorts of over-the-top stuff going on all the time. But at the end of the day, it's a story about Falstaff, an errant knight who is always looking for ways to scheme money. This time, however, he meets his match with the two wives, Mistress Page (played by Leah Turley) and Mistress Ford (played by Katherine Mohn). Falstaff decides he wants to sleep with one or both of them, and, disgusted by him and his antics, the wives torture him hilariously, physically and emotionally, for the rest of the play, getting their husbands, and, eventually, the entire town to turn the tables on Falstaff.
Q: How much fun is it playing one of the greatest characters ever written for the theatre?
A: Getting to play Falstaff is a quite literally a dream come true. He's such an iconic character, and one of the few characters to have been in several of Shakespeare's plays... and he makes the jump from the history plays to a comedy, because the Queen loved the character so much, she demanded Shakespeare write a play based around him. It's an honor to be able to play this role, especially with such a great director and cast. I have loved getting the chance to be back at Marshall working with old friends and mentors, and, hopefully, helping out some new folks along the way. It's a role I've always wanted to play, and the perfect environment to play it in.
Q: You have lots of young faces taking part in this show - how challenging is that?
A: It is challenging working with so many freshmen in this show, but they have really stepped up to the work. At the call-back for the show, Professor Anthony had us create a silly character for whichever role we were called back for, and I have never been more impressed with a group of people in my life. I sat in awe and watched these kids really put themselves out there, and they deserve to have the houses packed to watch their work in this show. The MU Theatre Department has some wonderful up-and-coming performers. I can't wait to check back in a couple of years, after they have had some training, and see how they've grown.
Q: What's it like working with one of the area's best directors, Gene Anthony?
A: I've worked with Professor Anthony several times in the past, and I always forget what a true experience it is. I was in his production of 1776 with Huntington Outdoor Theatre, and I worked with him on several shows at Marshall, including The Foreigner, Bus Stop and You Can't Take It With You. He's a great director, and a great person. I value my friendship with him. He's hard on you, because he knows what you need to hear to get your best effort. He's nurturing and sympathetic to your needs as an artist. But most of all, he wants to have fun just like everyone else, and this show has been probably WAY too much fun!
Q: Why would you recommend this show?
A: I've done A LOT of Shakespeare in my life. I would nearly always recommend a Shakespeare show to someone, in general. Luckily, this show has something for everyone. It's got love, lust, misdirection, cross-dressing, sight-gags, slap-stick (literally), chases, swords, adventure, and, most of all.... it's hysterical. We've worked really hard on this show, the sets and lights are great, and we want everyone, even if you don't think you're "into" Shakespeare, to check it out; because you won't find a better show to get your feet wet with Shakespeare than this production.
Q: Give us the details - when and where the show takes place, ticket prices, etc...
A: The show plays tonight, Friday, April 25, and Saturday, April 26, at 8 p.m. each night at the Joan C. Edwards Performing Arts Center at Marshall. Tickets are $14 for adults; $12 for seniors, MU faculty and staff; $7 for youths 17 and younger; and free to full-time MU students with valid identification. For more information, call (304) 696-2787.
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