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At this point in the academic year, most theater students at Seton Hill University have valuable stage experience under their belts that should make learning new lines a piece of cake.

And then along comes a work by William Shakespeare.

In their upcoming production of "The Merry Wives of Windsor," students are tackling Shakespeare's early modern English, some for the first time.

"The language style is formal and archaic and always is a challenge," says director Denise Pullen, associate professor of theater at Seton Hill.

Student cast members are realizing that memorizing the words is only part of that challenge.

"The language is so diverse and full that it is hard to grasp sometimes. Our job as actors is to make it understandable," says Alan Knepper, a senior music/theater and technical theater major from Fort Littleton, Fulton County, who portrays Master Ford in "Merry Wives." He says he has previous experience in a Shakespearean play, portraying a minor role in "Antony and Cleopatra" at Seton Hill two years ago.

Jamie Torres, a senior theater performance and technical theater major from Conemaugh, Cambria County, is playing Mistress Quickly and the Host. She has stage managed a Shakespearean play in the past, but this is her first experience acting in one.

"It took me forever to learn my lines," she says. "The sentences are twisted around. You also have to understand the meaning of what you're saying. It's been a long rehearsal process." Still, as difficult as it is to separate the "withers" from the "wherefores," Torres says performing Shakespeare is fun.

"Mistress Quickly has become one of my favorite characters. She's so much fun to play," the student actor says.

Nathan May of Latrobe, a junior theater performance major, says the old-fashioned language shouldn't prevent audiences from enjoying the production.

"It is a very physically comedic show," he says. "Even if the audience doesn't understand the language, they will be entertained purely by the spectacle."

May's character, Sir John Falstaff, is the life of the party in this Shakespearean comedy. He attempts to court two wealthy married women, Mistress Ford (Melissa Lingsch of North Huntingdon alternating the role with Natalie Moretti of Cheswick) and Mistress Anne Page (Laura Barron of Grove City alternating the role with Brittany Huffman of Tyrone). When the "merry wives" discover his plan, they seek revenge.

Torres says Mistress Quickly is a conniving character, a messenger of sorts who is out for her own gain. She tells everyone just what they want to hear, profiting from the "secrets" she shares.

"The play is a lot of fun to do. We're hoping it's fun to watch," she says. "The period costumes are over the top and everything is exaggerated in a cartoon-y, bigger-than-life way."

Pullen says her teaching style for this show involved having the students consider the Shakespeare comedy as if it were an animated feature. "We chose to take off on the physical antics, almost like a cartoon. It's a great approach for this production," she says.

"I wanted them to fully embrace their character's potential. Shakespeare is all about big moments," she says.

Also in the cast are Amanda Bish of Pittsburgh, Simple; Chelsea Bloam of Saint Marys, Robin; Ryan Carroll of Economy, Pistol; Nate Errett of North Huntingdon, Fenton; Matt Henderson of Irwin, Dr. Caius; Nathan Hough of Elizabeth, Robert Shallow; Matthew Mlynarski of Lower Burrell, Slender; Chris O' Brien of Lancaster, Sir Page; Victoria Serra of Latrobe, Sir Hugh Evans; and Juistina Chiappelli of Penfield, Queen Elizabeth.

Andrew Roberts of Green Lane, Pa., is assistant director; Jeanette Lundell of Sewickley is stage manager, and Christine Rauch of Bethel Park and Jennifer Makowski of New Kensington are assistant stage managers. Jeffrey Gettemy of Greensburg is assistant sound director.

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