Scene Breakdown/Bible

When working with the structure of the play, and how the scenes go together, I often find with Shakespeare that it becomes prudent to combine some scenes.  This can help to make the show move easier.  With Merry Wives of Windsor, I am stunned at how many 10-20 line scenes there are--4 or 5, at the minimum.  Many of these take place in the same location one right after another (at the end in the park).

So what I have done is create a show bible that groups scenes together and keeps the actors/staff aware of how the show will flow.  At this point I plan to take an intermission after our Scene 8, Shakespeare's Act III, Scene 3, or the first assignation/buck basket scene.

Here is the bible for Merry Wives:

Scene 1:  The Party at the Page's
	Comprises:		Prologue, Act I, Scenes 1 & 2
	Action:		Celebration/Dinner in honor of Falstaff--Opening dance number
	Actors:		The Pages, The Fords, Falstaff, Bardolph, Pistol, Nym, Robin, (Fenton, Dr. Caius),
				Shallow, Slender, Evans, Simple, Windsor Ensemble, Windsor Children
Scene 2:  The Garter Inn
	Comprises:		Act I, Scene 3
	Action:		Falstaff fires his entourage and comes up with his plan--1st Garter Dance
	Actors:		Falstaff, Bardolph, Pistol, Nym, Robin, Host, (Fenton), Garter Ensemble
Scene 3:  Dr. Cauis' House
	Comprises:		Act I, Scene 4
	Action:		Caius learns of other suitors for Anne; Quickly is revealed to be working them all
	Actors:		Quickly, Simple, Rugby, Caius, Fenton
Scene 4:  The Yard of the Page's--DAY TWO
	Comprises:		Act II, Scene 1
	Action:		The wives plan their revenge; the husbands learn of Falstaff's plan; Host tells of
				trick on Caius and Evans
	Actors:		Alice, Meg, Ford, Page, Pistol, Nym, Quickly, Host, Shallow, Slender
Scene 5:  The Garter Inn
	Comprises:		Act II, Scene 2
	Action:		Quickly invites Falstaff to the first assignation; Brook (Ford) meets Falstaff
	Actors:		Falstaff, Pistol, Robin, Quickly, Bardolph, Ford, some of Garter Ensemble
Scene 6:  The Duel
	Comprises:		Act II, Scene 3 and Act 3, Scene 1
	Action:		Evans and Caius learn they've been tricked by the Host
	Actors:		Page, Shallow, Slender, Caius, Evans, Host, Simple, Rugby
Scene 7:  The Street
	Comprises:		Act III, Scene 2
	Action:		A recap scene on where every plot is
	Actors:		Meg, Robin, Ford, Host, Shallow, Slender, Caius, Evans, Rugby, Simple
Scene 8:  Ford's House
	Comprises:		Act III, Scene 3
	Action:		The first assignation/buck basket scene
	Actors:		Meg, Alice, Falstaff, Servants, Ford, Page, Caius, Evans
	INTERMISSION
Scene 9:  The Yard of the Page's
	Comprises:		Act III, Scene 4
	Action:		Temperature check on Anne and her three suitors
	Actors:		Anne, Fenton, Shallow, Slender, Quickly, Page, Meg
Scene 10:  The Garter Inn--DAY THREE
	Comprises:		Act III, Scene 5
	Action:		Quickly invites Falstaff to 2nd assignation; Brook (Ford) meets with Falstaff
	Actors:		Falstaff, Bardolph, Ford, Quickly, the rest of the Garter Ensemble
Scene 11:  The Street ***
	Comprises:		Act IV, Scene 1***
	Action:		Evans and Quickly school Wilhelmina Page
	Actors:		Evans, Meg, Wilhemina, Quickly
Scene 12:  Ford's House
	Comprises:		Act IV, Scene 2
	Action:		Second assignation/cross-dressing scene; Ford attacks basket & "witch"
	Actors:		Meg, Alice, Falstaff, Servants, Ford, Page, Shallow, Evans, Caius
Scene 13:  The Garter Inn
	Comprises:		Act IV, Scenes 3, 4, 5, 6 and Act V, Scene 1
	Action:		German Duke plot; the husbands and wives team up; the 3rd assignation is planned
				Second Garter Dance***
	Actors:		Host, Bardolph, Evans, Ford, Page, Meg, Alice, Simple, Falstaff, Caius, Quickly,
				Fenton, (Nym, Pistol, Robin, Rugby), Garter Ensemble
Scene 14:  Windsor Park
	Comprises:		Act V, Scenes 2, 3, 4, 5
	Action:		The suitors plan to steal away with Anne; the third assignation; Fairies attack
				Fairie Song
	Actors:		Page, Slender, Shallow, Meg, Alice, Caius, Evans, Quickly, Pistol, Anne, Falstaff,
				Ford, Fenton, (Nym, Robin, Rugby, Simple), Windsor Children, Windsor Ensemble