Taming of the Shrew

Show Times: 8pm Friday/Saturday & 7pm Sunday

Venue: The Arena Stage at the Egyptian  1625 N. Las Palmas Ave.

William Shakespeare’s late 16th Century romantic comedy “The Taming of the Shrew” was popular in its time, produced on multiple occasions subsequent to its initial 1594 staging. The plot involves Petruchio, a gentleman of Verona, and his efforts to turn the spirited, headstrong Katherine Minola into a willing, submissive and obedient bride. Conventions acceptable in romantic comedy in 1594 include attitudes about conduct toward women considered repugnant in 2011. How does one make this classic comedy palatable to modern audiences?

            There have been various attempts to adapt it in musical theater (“Kiss Me Kate”) and film (“10 Things I Hate About You”).

            Ark Theatre Company Artistic Director Paul Wagar, who helms the company’s new production of “The Taming of the Shrew,” elects to present the play without re-writing Shakespeare’s text. He states, “The play didn’t need adapting; just playing what’s there with different assumptions. Usually the ‘battle’ between Katherine and Petruchio is played as him teaching her a better way of living her life (and the last speech is done ‘tongue in cheek’). This says to me that it’s o.k. for one person (Petruchio) to know better than another (Katherine) how they should lead their life, and that it’s o.k. for her to lie about their relationship in order to ‘get along.’

            “The assumption, in the play, is that ‘a woman should know their place and defer to a man.’

            “I’m taking this to its logical conclusion: i.e. a vital and intelligent but frustrated woman (due to the treatment from the men in society) is essentially brainwashed into subjugation. The moral is that if you treat a woman (or anyone) in such a fashion, you stamp out what is attractive ands interesting about them. To make the point, it’s important for Petruchio to realize what he has lost (the woman who initially fascinated and attracted him) by his inappropriate behavior.”

            The production is performed in modern dress, but is not otherwise date-specific in its approach.

            Paul Wagar, a former actor with the Royal Shakespeare Company, was Artistic Director for Actor’s Initiative and Toronto Repertory Theater, Producing Director for Philadelphia Area Repertory Theater, and directed for Shakespeare Theater in Washington, D.C. and Pulse Theater Ensemble in New York. He directed his feature film adaptation of “Merchant of Venice.”

            Wagar’s cast for “The Taming of the Shrew” includes Sarah Kay Watson as Katherine, Joe Tower as Petruchio, and Alex Coleman, Jared Dagar, Nick Echols, James Gallo, Eli Gonzalez, Walt Gray, Brendon Hawley, Joanna Jocelyn, Cody Kearsley, Anna Miranda Quirino, Mattias Ramos, Brad Satterwhite, Jim Senti, Cooper Sivara and Carolyn Marie Wright.

            Assistant director: Kate Bergstrom. Stage manager: Letty Valladares. Set design: Nick E. Santiago. Sound and lighting designs: Michelle Stann. Costume design: Osa Danam. Production manager: Carolyn Marie Wright.

            Ark Theatre Company, under Paul Wagar’s guiding directorial hand, presents a production of “The Taming of the Shrew” to which present-day audiences can relate, while retaining the humor, wit, romance and fun of Shakespeare.