AC theater brings Shakespeare to modern-day New York with 'The Merry Wives of SoHo'

The Amarillo College (AC) Theatre Arts Program is bringing to life a classic Shakespearean comedy, with a modern reality TV twist, with "The Merry Wives of SoHo." The production will be presented Feb. 23 through Feb. 26 at the Experimental Theatre on AC's Washington Street Campus.

The story is Shakespeare's "The Merry Wives of Windsor" relocated to the trendy New York City neighborhood, SoHo, set in modern time fully embracing the "Real Housewives" feel.

According to Monty Downs, instructor of theater and the show’s director, this is the program's third show of the season and first of the spring semester. Downs, who also plays a role in the show, said that although the production will not have as much Shakespearean language in the performance, some will still be utilized. To accommodate for the old language barrier, word definitions will be included in the program, so attendees can rest assured that they won't need to brush up on their old English.

"I think this will be very easy for a modern audience to understand what's going on," Downs said. "Most of this show was not written in the iambic pentameter. It's mostly written in prose, so its a little bit more like today's dialogue. ... It will still have some of that unrecognizable Elizabethan English in it that we will sometimes utilize."

The story revolves around an arrogant man, Sir John Falstaff, who attempts to woo two wealthy women who have husbands that cannot seem to keep their wives from straying. Other characters have their own agendas and pursue additional courtships, and the result is a delightful and riveting romp.

The play features a dozen cast members, with most playing multiple roles to accommodate for the story's 20 characters. To help audiences keep all the characters straight, the actors will employ emotionally expressive Renaissance-era Commedia masks.

"I'm looking forward to people's reaction, because I think a lot of times when people hear Shakespeare, including myself, they hear that name and think it's old, boring and confusing, but I think our production is refreshing and new," said Emily Errington, who is portraying Mistress Ford and Peter Simple in the show. "Although we will use some of the language, I think it's less confusing, and the way we act it out, they will understand easily."

Performances to be given Thursday through Saturday, Feb. 23-25 start at 7:30 p.m., and the run will be capped with a matinee beginning at 3 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 26.

Tickets are $10 for adults and $8 for students (college or high school), senior citizens, and AC employees. They can be purchased at the door or online at https://theatreac.ludus.com/index.php. Groups of 10 or more are entitled to $6 seats if purchased at least 24 hours in advance.

This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: Amarillo College theater presents modern-day 'Merry Wives of SoHo'