The Merry Wives of Windsor was my first experience with Shakespeare, that wasn’t scenes. Seth Panitch’s adaptation was not only hilarious but the cast was all-star. This cast came ready to work from day one. On top of that, the cast was made up mostly of upperclassmen. This makeup allowed me something that I always look for in my shows…someone that could teach me something about the industry or the way that they approach a new role. Learning from the upperclassmen was something like out of a dream. Each day being able to see them put everything they had into a role gave me something to strive for while I still remain in college.
I played Fenton in the show. Fenton, in love with Mistress Anne Page, was something that I rarely play…the guy that has no problem getting the girl. I never saw this role in my wheelhouse but, I’m glad that Seth did. He really worked with me to get out of playing the boy character and more of a young man. I know that sounds kind of like semantics but it really reverberated with me and actually influenced the way that I play most of my characters now. His notes helped to bring presence to my acting on stage. On top of that Seth was always pushing me forward to get the very best that I had to offer. It was pleasure getting to work with him and the cast on putting together something that reminds me why I love to do theatre.
