No ordinary battle of the sexes
TWU’s Shrew production defies taming
March 21, 2007
Lois Dawson, Staff Writer
Reading Shakespeare can be difficult, but watching it shouldn’t be. And Theatre at TWU’s production of The Taming of the Shrew is no exception, as it takes the play’s mistaken identities and miscommunication blunders and spices them up with cross-dressing.
The story is familiar, at least to some extent, to anyone who has ever seen the movie 10 Things I Hate About You. Bianca is known for her beauty, but her older sister Kate is known for her cutting tongue, and their over protective father (or in this production, their mother) will not let Bianca marry until Kate has. But where 10 Things ended, TWU’s production antes up with cross-dressing, dancing, and the return of Heath Ledger. Wait. No, sorry—it’s just John Voth.
“I never realized how rich the text in Shakespeare’s plays was before,” said Voth, a second year Theatre major. “Once you understand the words you can really get into the world he has created.”
For this production, director Aaron Caleb set the play in 1950s Italy, complete with piazza, and shifted the focus from the traditional gender conflicts to the relationships between the characters.
“Traditionally this play focuses on gender conflict and many people see the ‘taming’ of Kate as anti-feminist” said Caleb. “Our production really messes with the usual gender stereotyping because I think the story is ultimately about people connecting. The personalities are what give the play its spark and its humour.”
Third year student Amanda Hart, who has taken on the role of Baptista, agrees. “You will be hard-pressed to find another production with such unique and well-developed characters,” she said. “Everyone created their own voice and physicality.”
And they’ve had to. To accommodate a predominantly female department, Caleb changed some traditionally male roles, like Baptista, into female roles, or else simply cast females in male roles.
“Playing both a boy and a woman makes you very aware of your physical choices,” Jenni Fischer said. “It has been fun to explore the different ways age and gender affect movement and to try to incorporate that in these characters.”
As fourth year Jackie Faulkner, who plays Kate, pointed out, “We do things that we don’t get to do every day: fight, kiss, and wear evening gowns.”
But beyond the jokes, miscommunications, confusions, and cross-dressing lies what is ultimately a beautiful love story about the power of sacrificial love to transform and free.
Now you go...
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