Falstaff

Opera

Writers: Arrigo Boito Giuseppe Verdi

Overview

Show Information

Category
Opera
Number of Acts
3
First Produced
1893
Genres
Comedy, Farce
Settings
Multiple Settings
Time & Place
between 1399-1413
Cast Size
medium
Orchestra Size
Medium
Dancing
None
Casting Notes

Includes adult, mature adult, late teen, young adult, child, early teen characters

Synopsis

The fat, old knight, Falstaff, seeks to seduce two married women in order to steal some money, and have a little fun. Alice and Meg receive the letters of invitation, shocked that the fat, old man would expect them to swoon, and amused because they have both received the exact same letter. Seeking to punish Falstaff, they plan to make a fool of him, letting him think, for a while, that they have accepted. Ford, Alice’s husband, discovers Falstaff’s plan, but is not in on the prank that Alice is plotting, therefore believing himself to be betrayed. As multiple plots coincide, Falstaff is at the center of the chaos and mixed communication. Hilariously, all come together against Falstaff and succeed in making him a fool, and showing him the wrong in his ways. They all laugh together in the end, and declare that “he who laughs last, laughs best.”

Lead Characters


Falstaff guide sections