I am about to say something for which I expect to be pilloried: Not all of Shakespeare’s plays are great. There, I said it. Take The Merry Wives of Windsor playing this week at the Broad Stage in Santa Monica. This isn’t the Shakespeare of deep human insight or political intrigue

or stunning word play. This is the Shakespeare with a subplot which

revolves around making fun of how tough it is to understand the French

and Welsh. It’s broad brush comedy -- no pun intended. It’s great; but

it’s not GREAT...