I have contemplated the versions of The Taming of the Shrew that I have seen over the years. I never liked the premise that a woman should be trained to be docile like a dog. I envisioned lion tamers holding chairs and whips, as well as Howard Keel and Kathryn Grayson circling each other in Kiss Me Kate (1953). Director Marti Lyons has adapted a new version of The Taming of the Shrew, now playing at the Court Theatre. It is a delightful staging that I found to be much more fun and satisfying. Heads up, there are giant shrews onstage as silent extras.
The premise of The Taming of the Shrew is that a wealthy nobleman, Baptista (Mark L. Montgomery), wants to arrange marriages for his daughters. Bianca (Netta Walker) is a sweet and mild girl who will make an excellent wife. She has a suitor who pines for her, but Baptista will not allow a marriage until his eldest daughter, Katharina (Melisa Soledad Pereya), is wed. Whatever could be the problem? Well, Katherina is considered a shrew by everyone who interacts with her. Nerd that I am, I have always known that a shrew is a small mammal with a voracious appetite that looks like a mouse. Keep in mind that there are venomous shrews who stun their prey to save for future snacking. I do not know if that is what Lyons had in mind when she adapted The Taming of the Shrew, but it was running through my mind. Women have been deemed as personified animals for centuries. Bitches, heifers, barracudas, and shrews are but a few, and it is fun to see how things go pear-shaped for the men who deem women as ill-tempered animals.
Lucentio (Nate Santana) is in love with Bianca (Netta Walker) and creates a subterfuge to be near her. He has his servant Tranio (Ryder Dean McDaniel) pretend to be him and recommend that Lucentio become Bianca's tutor. The wealthy and older Hortensio (Samuel Taylor) has approached Baptista to ask for her hand in marriage. He pretends to be a music teacher to get next to Bianca and block Lucentio whenever possible. Add in Gremio (Dexter Zollicoffer), who is an even older and wealthier competitor, and farcical shenanigans ensue. One of the funniest scenes in the play is Hortensio trying to horn in on Lucentio's Latin lessons with Bianca. The timing and chemistry of the cast are excellent across the board.
This isn't a swooning over the ivied arches Shakespeare. It's Zollicoffer putting a bit of church hollering in his exhortations. It's Walker playing Bianca as a tarty, petulant young woman who reinforces her older sister's reputation to make herself appear more angelic. Walker and Santana are hilarious as the naughty couple making out and getting caught. Montgomery has some great moments of comedy and pathos. Into all of this walks Petruchio (Jay Whittaker) and his servant Grumio (Alex Weisman). Whittaker brings an interesting element to his Petruchio. His character is more like a sociologist running an experiment and getting a hefty dowry in the bargain. Pereya's Katherina is far from the Elizabeth Taylor portrayal, snarling at Richard Burton in the 1967 Franco Zefferelli adaptation. Pereya plays the character with quiet, simmering anger. She will not deign to give in to the characterization of her as a shrew. The fact that she is a woman who speaks her mind makes her a shrew.
The dynamic between Whittaker and Pereya is adapted as more erotic with an S&M edge. Shakespeare wrote Petruchio as marrying Katherina and then isolating, starving, and physically abusing her. One of the film posters for Kiss Me Kate shows Howard Keel spanking Kathryn Grayson over his knee. This Lyons adaptation has a Katherina who is intelligent and better at mind games than Petruchio. It is a twist on the premise that slows the comic rhythm and comic trajectory. Thankfully, Alex Wiseman's Grumio interjects comic relief into the play.
Wiseman steals the show with his hilarious physical comedy and excellent comic timing. I saw a touch of Tim Conway in Wiseman, as he invokes both Duane Toddleberry (the Oldest Man) and Mr. Tudball, the goofy businessman, with a dense secretary named Mrs Wiggins, played by Carol Burnett. Grumio is one of the great Shakespearean comic characters, along with Dogberry and Beatrice from Much Ado About Nothing. Another scene stealer is Monica West as the Widow, who is the opposite of tame. West plays the Widow with some dominatrix vibes, which is an excellent balance as Petruchio tries to "tame" women.
This production has fabulous production values. The giant shrews move the props around to change the set. I loved the irony of them being docile and quiet, in contrast to Katherina, who is portrayed as an aggressive, volatile shrew. Kotryna Hilko's costumes are beautifully designed and made of sumptuous-looking fabrics. The men wear velvet capes, hats, and vests befitting the noble class. Bianca's gown is a beautiful pink brocade that moves gracefully. Costumes for the Widow and Petruchio lean into the S&M with leather, bright reds, and blacks. Jackie Fox USA is the scenic designer and has done several theater productions in Chicago. The set features beautiful velvet-covered furniture, stag-horn chandeliers, and lovely floral accents.
The Court Theatre production of The Taming of the Shrew is funny, twisted just enough, and gives new meaning to taming. It is a feminist turn on the debasement of women as animals or lesser creatures. I highly recommend The Taming of the Shrew. It continues through December 14 at Court Theatre, 5535 S. Ellis Ave. in Hyde Park. The runtime is 2 hours and 15 minutes with one intermission.
For more information on this and other productions, see theatreinchicago.com.
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