The Merry Wives of Windsor
Design Notes
For The Merry Wives of Windsor, directed by Jamey Grisham, I reimagined Shakespeare’s farce through the bright lens of 1950s American sitcoms—mid-century lines, bold color, and suburban playfulness echoing classic TV comedy.
A modular concept kept momentum high across multiple locations. Color-coded flying doors—red, yellow, green, blue, and violet—became the engine of transitions, guiding rapid entrances, exits, and comic miscommunications. The pop-art palette made each beat distinct while sustaining a unified tone of levity.
For the pastoral shift, a circular green wall portal (paired with the green door) and layered lighting evoked a stylized outdoors. Rather than literal trees, we leaned on theatrical suggestion—abstraction and color inviting the audience’s imagination.
This approach matched the production’s witty, buoyant language: clever, stylized, and visually nimble. By channeling 1950s TV flair, the design amplified the play’s social satire—gossip, gender games, and domestic farce—in a world that felt nostalgic yet freshly theatrical.
The result celebrated transformation, illusion, and humor—perfect for the merry chaos of Windsor.
