What are we to make of “The Taming of the Shrew,” William Shakespeare’s comedic exploration of gender dynamics and submission? Kate, the fiery protagonist, is never physically struck by Petruchio, her suitor. Instead, she is subjected to starvation, public humiliation, psychological manipulation, and virtual captivity. If Shakespeare were writing today, what methods might he employ? Waterboarding?
The word “today” is crucial here, highlighting the problem with “The Taming of the Shrew,” a play written over four centuries ago. Back then, only one woman was allowed to be headstrong, and she ruled the British Empire. Today, women lead nations, corporations, and financial institutions. While gender equity in the workplace remains elusive, society has made significant strides in what was once termed the gender war. We no longer view assertive women, even those as abrasive as Kate, as needing to be tamed.
This presents a dilemma: Despite its outdated views, “The Taming of the Shrew” is a masterful piece of playwriting. Depending on the director’s vision, it can be fast-paced, funny, and brilliantly written. Yet, it remains highly offensive, especially in its final scene where Kate delivers a speech about women’s duties to men. This scene can leave audiences either laughing in disbelief or feeling duped after an otherwise enjoyable evening.
A particularly whimsical and well-acted version recently opened at the Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival. Directed by Matt Pfeiffer, this production aims to maximize the comedic elements of the play. The festival has a history with “The Taming of the Shrew,” having produced it four times over the past 25 years.
This rendition is designed primarily for laughs, and it succeeds. Shakespeare originally intended the play to be humorous, presenting it as a joke by a troupe to a drunken low-life. However, most modern productions omit these initial scenes. This version features plenty of physical comedy, especially between Ian Merrill Peakes’ Petruchio and Eleanor Handley’s Kate. The production also includes effective mugging by Carl N. Wallnau and Eric Hissom, lots of music led by Alex J. Bechtel, and increasingly flamboyant costumes by Olivera Gajic.
The supporting cast also shines. Brandon J. Pierce plays a suitor to Kate’s amiable sister, portrayed by Ally Borgstrom. Dan Hodge and Brendan Doyle excel as servants, Dane McMichael as a fool, and Linda Thorson commands the stage as Kate’s mother—a role originally written as their father, making the festival’s decision to add another female character a welcome one.
Pfeiffer’s direction manages to turn the play’s sexist premise into humor. This “Shrew” comes close to being a farce, minus the typical multiple doors for characters to burst through. The antics created by Pfeiffer and the cast enhance the text and poke fun at it.
However, the final scene remains problematic. In a recent New York Public Theatre production, an all-female cast doubled the play’s sexism with gender confusion and added stage business to make it so offensive that laughter was the only response. They cleverly turned the ending around by singing The Who’s rebellious “My Generation.”
At the Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival, the final scene retains its outdated seriousness. The cast breaks into a joyful song, but whether this mitigates the preceding text is debatable. On opening night, the lyrics were drowned out by the instruments, a significant flaw at a crucial moment.
When the Globe Theatre tackles one of Shakespeare’s problematic plays, it often throws in various conceptual elements to see what sticks. In this offensive comedy set in Renaissance Padua, Petruchio marries Katharina for her fortune against her will and then ruthlessly breaks her spirit. Jude Christian’s production at the Globe features cartoonish costumes, absurd design choices, and random musical interludes that overshadow the actors.
Christian embraces Shakespeare’s framing device, where the play is shown to a drunken beggar, Christopher Sly, who is duped into thinking he’s a nobleman. Nigel Barrett’s Sly encourages the audience to sing along to Tom Jones’s “Delilah” before abusing a random female audience member. A malign crew in clownish makeup co-opts both Sly and the audience member into performing the story.
Thalissa Teixeira, as Katharina, maintains some dignity, but it’s hard-won. The production aims to jolt us out of preconceptions that the play can’t be both funny and relevant today. However, the conceptual elements often obscure the core message.
In another innovative take, Dinah Marti’s “The Taming of a Shrew – Genderswapped!” offers a refreshing introduction to the comedy. The male characters are played by women, and the matriarch Baptista has two sons instead of daughters. This gender-swapping forces the audience to reconsider the characters’ positions, making the play feel like a fun work of fiction rather than a dramatization of real-world misogyny.
Despite some practical issues, the production is funny and engaging. The cast’s camaraderie and the ease with which the characters’ motivations translate to another gender make for a joyful experience. The sheer number of female characters on stage becomes a powerful point, challenging the usual gender dynamics in popular plays.
In conclusion, while “The Taming of the Shrew” remains a problematic play, modern productions continue to find ways to make it relevant and entertaining. Whether through humor, conceptual elements, or gender-swapping, these adaptations offer fresh perspectives on Shakespeare’s controversial comedy.
