On April 7, 2026, live at the Irvine Barclay Theater, the Merry Wives of Windsor Cove had their day in court. Did piling dirty laundry on Falstaff, a sexual grifter and Elvis wannabe, count as "unwanted touching"? And did his dumping into a muddy washing ditch rise to the level of attempted murder?
Actors Lourdes Castillo and Anna Fitzgerald as the wives and Wyn Moreno as Falstaff previewed key scenes from this summer’s production of The Merry Wives of Windsor Cove, directed by Eli Simon and adapted by Eli Simon and Anna Fiztgerald. Wyn Moreno also shared one of his Elvis-inspired songs, written by Zachary Dietz, who performed the tune on the Barclay’s grand piano.
Erwin Chemerinsky (Berkeley Law) and Bernadette Meyler (Stanford Law School) argued the charges faced by Mrs. Ford and Mrs. Page, while the Hon. Andrew Guilford presided over the unruly courtroom.
The jury of 450 audience members ultimately decided in favor of the defendants on both counts. Watch the whole trial on our YouTube channel and come to your own decision!
– Melissa Telliano, intern with New Swan in 2025-26.