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    Theatre Review: Taming of the Shrew a relic of times past but a fun show

    Summer is mostly in the air, which means New Players Theater’s 2013 Festival is in full swing. The festival occurs on The Island, an intimate space behind a church in Hilliard and features two Shakespearean plays in rep. Cautionary word, if you’ve never attended a NPT Festival before, locating the venue may become challenging, but the effort in finding it to see the sixties, slap-stick rendition of The Taming of the Shrew seems worth it.

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    Austin Andres as Lucentio in The Taming of the Shrew, performed by New Players Theater.

    The Taming of the Shrew is one of Shakespeare’s earliest comedies and centers on Baptista, a rich citizen of Padua, and his two daughters: Katherina (Kate) and Bianca. Baptista wishes to wed his daughters, but no one desires Kate because she is a shrew (i.e. a woman who speaks her mind). He bans suitors of beautiful Bianca from seeing her in order to focus everyone’s attention on Kate. Meanwhile Lucentio, a new suitor of Bianca, masquerades as a tutor to get close to Bianca, while other suitors seek help from Petruchio, a recent arrival to the town, to woo Kate. Petruchio then takes it upon himself to tame and wed Kate.

    Overall, the actors do a good job navigating the prose of the play and working as a unit during the slapstick antics of the production. Austin Andres (Lucentio), Clifton Holznagel (Tranio), and Christina Yoho (Biondello) balance each other nicely and with strong energy with the rotating master and servants guise. Tim Browning also aptly plays Petruchio as the wayward but aloof Lonestar of a lover. Todd Covert adds a touch of humanity to the camel-like, servant of Petruchio, Grumio, which makes for many hilarious moments.

    Design wise, the show is lovely. Jarod Wilson creates encompassing sounds that contribute much comedy to the camp. Gremio’s theme song certainly stands out as does Lucentio’s trance music. Natalie Cagle’s costumes showcase a fine detail to sixties sitcoms and Kate Charlesworth-Miller designs an extensive and detailed array of props. The set seems like a cross between a Mondrian painting and the “Laugh In” set, which makes for a visually appealing arrangement, but does not ground the show in any one place. Also, the necessary set changes for the frequent shifts between Petruchio’s and Baptista’s homes cause needlessly long transitions. These transitions employ the use of characterizations, but remain so drawn out that it halts the story’s progression.

    Director Jocelyn Wiebe put a great deal of energy into the Commedia Dell’arte infused, sixties sitcom vibe of this production and thus created a visually awesome show. However, with such a controversial play with repulsive themes for a contemporary audience, it seems extra pertinent to focus on the couples, particularly Katherina and Petruchio. Little development comes from Kate or Bianca, which seems odd given the deliberate decision to set the show in the 1960s to “celebrate the women…who shook up the status quo.” We see Kate yelling a lot and Bianca giggling more frequently. Moreover, the taming process seems so rushed, it is impossible to tell whether Kate is ironic and pretends submissiveness, actually becomes docile due to a broken spirit, or calms down because of a mutual understanding between Petruchio and herself. My interpretation leans towards the first two, both of which leaves a sour taste in my mouth.

    To solidify the farcical, comedic style this production chose, the company might have done well using the Induction of the play, which features a rich man playing a joke on a passed out beggar by bringing him home and convincing him he is a lord. The Taming of the Shrew is then performed for him (and his fake wife in drag), as a play within a play. It sets a tone for jokes and circumstances the story alone cannot do, though makes for a considerably longer evening at the theater.

    Taken alone, the show seems like a relic of times past and strikes a bad chord in today’s hostile environment for women’s rights. Perhaps though, that is why we should see and discuss it. The production, while upsetting, did present a clear story, which allows for much conversation following the performance.

    The Taming of the Shrew plays through July 21 at Mill Run Amphitheater, 3500 Mill Run Drive in Hilliard and is part of the New Players Theater Festival. Performances begin at 8 PM. Pay what you will. More information can be found online at NewPlayers.org.

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    Lisa Much
    Lisa Much
    Lisa Much is a recent transplant to Columbus as of June. She comes from Chicago having freelanced as a stage manager and prop designer. She holds a BA in Sustainable Theater from Green Mountain College in Vermont.
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