Putting a simple twist on the setting we open the play inn a Western town, Windsor,  near Dodge city,  where we find Sheriff  Shallow and his nephew Slender  complaining  to the local Parson, Evans that Sir John Falstaff the owener of the Wild Wild West show that has landed in town, has wronged them.   Specifically, Slender accuses Falstaff of getting him drunk, then picking his purse. Falstaff,and members of his show,  Bardolph, Nym, and Pistol all deny it.   Falstaff, worrying that he is out of  money plots ways to cure this woe.  He encourages Host, the keeper of The Garter (the local Inn and Saloon) to hire one of his crew to be the barkeep.   He then informs two of his other showmen, Pistol and Nym of his plan to to seduce two of the wives in town, Mistress Page and Mistress Ford, and steal money from them.  Pistol and Nym refuse to help him carry out this plan, and secretly decide to inform the women's husbands of Falstaff's intentions.  He sends love notes through another of his crew to each of the ladies.

Mistress Page and her husband are parents to the beautiful Anne Page., a daughter or marriage age.   Slender, falls for Anne but is overcome with shyness.  The parson, with help from Sheriff Shallow, tell Simple (slender's servant) to give a letter to Mistress Quickly, a freind of Anne's, asking her to tell Anne of Slender's interest.     Mistress Quickly's assures Simple that she will put in a good word for his Slender. Dr. Caius, Quickly's employer comes home and catches Simple there, admonishes Quickly, and sends a letter with Simple challenging Evans to a duel for playing matchmaker, since Caius himself wishes to marry Anne. Caius and Simple leave and Fenton arrives, also asking for Quickly's assurance that she'll put in a good word for him to Anne. 

Mrs. Ford and Mrs. Page receive Falstaff's letters, compare them, and find them to be identical. They, along with Quickly, plot their revenge on Falstaff for being so bold. Pistol and Nym warn Mr. Page and Mr. Ford of Falstaff's intentions: Page trusts his wife to act appropriately, but Ford, always untrusting of his wife, convinces the innkeeper to call him Brooke, as a disguise, so that he may converse with Falstaff without him knowing Brooke is really Mr. Page. Shallow informs all that Evans and Caius will indeed duel. Quickly comes to Falstaff's room and tells him he can see Mrs. Ford between 10 and 11 am, but that Mrs. Page is more reluctant to see him and therefore deserves to have Falstaff's page, Robin, as a gift. Mr. Ford comes to Falstaff, disguised as Brooke. He offers Falstaff money if Falstaff will arrange for him (Brooke) to sleep with Mrs. Ford (in hopes of keeping Falstaff from doing it). Falstaff agrees and continues on to insult and degrade Mr. Ford (not knowing Brooke is Ford). 

In a field outside of twon, Caius, incensed, waits for Evans, who does not show.   In another area, outside of town, Evans, also invigorated (yet nervous), waits for Caius. Caius begins wondering and they both meet and learn that the Host (the innkeeper) told them different locations so that they could not fight. They put aside their differences and vow to get him back for lying to them. 

At Ford's house, Falstaff shows up to woo Mrs. Ford. Mrs. Page then arrives pretending that Mr. Ford is coming to look for Falstaff. The women convince Falstaff to hide in a trunk, then have Mrs. Ford's servants take it to the Thames and dump it and Falstaff into the river. On their way out, Mr. Ford does indeed show up with other men. They search the house (but not the trunk) and cannot find Falstaff. 

At Page's house, Fenton promises his love to Anne. Yet, Mr. Page wants her to marry Slender while Mrs. Page wants her to marry Caius.   Quickly, thinks Fenton is best for Anne. 

At Falstaff's room, Quickly informs him that Mrs. Ford will see him between 8 and 9 am. Ford (as Brooke) shows up and Falstaff tells him what happened and of his next encounter with Mrs. Ford. At Ford's house, Falstaff is again with Mrs. Ford. Again, Mrs. Page comes warning that Mr. Ford is coming (falsely, she believes). Again, he truly is. They decide to dress Falstaff as a woman. To chide Mr. Ford, they have the servants carry out the trunk again, but this time without Falstaff. Mr. Ford, thinking Falstaff to be a witch (his servant's aunt, whom he hates) beats Falstaff (as a she) and chases him out of the house. The wives decide to actually tell their husband's the truth of the proceedings. They all decide to have the wives meet Falstaff at an oak at midnight, and plot a means to scare him.    

 Mr. Page plans to marry his daughter to Slender in the commotion. Similarly, Mrs. Page plans for Anne to marry Caius during the night. Fenton then convinces the Host to procure a priest to marry him and Anne that evening. Anne's father has told Slender she will be the only person in white at the midnight gathering; her mother has told Caius she'll be wearing green; in fact, she'll be wearing neither and will spy away with Fenton.

Falstaff meets Mrs. Ford and Mrs. Page at the oak at midnight. The planned scare begins, and dancing skeletons appear, "scare" off the women and begin to torment Falstaff.    Caius takes the dancer wearing green; Slender takes the one wearing white; and Fenton takes Anne.  Everyone departs and Mr. and Mrs. Page, Mr. and Mrs. Ford, and others appear to reveal to Falstaff that he is the butt of a practical joke. Unhappily, Mr. and Mrs. Page learn that neither Slender nor Caius married Anne. Instead, all learn of Anne and Fenton's elopement. All decide to accept the couple, forgive Falstaff, and go home and laugh about the preceding day's events.