Brandon PT Davis
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Production photograph for The Merry Wives of Windsor at Stephens College; scenic design by Brandon PT Davis.

The Merry Wives of Windsor

Info

Shakespeare’s comedy reframed as a campy 1950s sitcom, with bold color, graphic framing, and flown doors giving Merry Wives a faster, more cinematic rhythm.

Year
2022
Company
Stephens College
Project
Shakespeare
Location
Columbia, MO
Shared civic playing space with open comic architecture for The Merry Wives of Windsor at Stephens College.
Actors moving through the public playing space for The Merry Wives of Windsor at Stephens College.
Doorways, concealment, and comic staging for The Merry Wives of Windsor at Stephens College.

Notes

A campy 1950s sitcom lens unlocked The Merry Wives of Windsor at Stephens College. Instead of a historical townscape, the scenic design used bright theatrical framing, heightened perspective, and playful visual shorthand.

A central green wall with a circular portal gave the stage a strong graphic anchor and a memorable entrance point. Each new location was marked by a different brightly colored door that could fly in, turning transitions into part of the joke.

The result was a flexible comic world built for schemes, reversals, and overheard conversations. The design kept the stage open while giving each scene a crisp visual identity.

Architectural framing and ensemble action for The Merry Wives of Windsor at Stephens College.

Production

Creative team

By
William Shakespeare
Director
Jamey Grisham
Scenic Designer
Brandon PT Davis
Costume Designer
Alice Crist
Lighting Designer
Lennox Emery
Sound Designer
Michael Burke

Links

The playful public atmosphere for The Merry Wives of Windsor at Stephens College.
Full-stage view of the complete scenic world for The Merry Wives of Windsor at Stephens College.
Rendering of the comic civic world and open architecture for The Merry Wives of Windsor at Stephens College.