Theatre review: The Taming of the Shrew

Petruchio: Come, come, you wasp, i’faith you are too angry.
Katherine: If I be waspish, best beware my sting.
Petruchio: My remedy is then to pluck it out.
Katherine: Ay, if the fool could find where it lies.
Petruchio: Who knows not where a wasp does wear his sting? In his tail.
Katherine: In his tongue.
Petruchio: Whose tongue?
Katherine: Yours, if you talk of tales, and so farewell.
Petruchio: What, with my tongue in your tail?


The Taming of the Shrew is the Old Globe’s third repertory production this summer, rounding out King Lear and The Madness of George III. We’re all familiar with the basic story, having been made into such other plays as Kiss Me Kate and movies like 10 Things I Hate About You. Katherine is a sharp-tongued, obdurate woman whose younger sister Bianca is desperate to marry. But their father won’t let Bianca marry until her older sister Katherine is married off first. Enter smooth-talking rogue Petruchio, who marries Katherine and “tames” her through a series of psychological torments (like withholding food, sleep and sex), until she’s as biddable and compliant as her giggly younger sister. Who then promptly marries.

Yes, it’s wildly misogynistic. But, also funny. It’s one of Shakespeare’s bawdier comedies, and while there are plot holes you could drive a truck through, no one cares with all the raunchy jokes and pratfalls. It’s a nice change of pace from the somber seriousness of King Lear and The Madness of George III.

Stylistically, this production is muddled. While ostensibly “period,” in the sense that the costumes and props are (mostly) sixteenth-century Elizabethan, there are several jarring touches, including a neon “The Taming of the Shrew” sign blazoned across the stage. The male leads are all dressed like gaudy Renaissance pimps—one with designer sunglasses—and the male ensemble members all look like Gumby the Village Idiot from early Monty Python sketches. There are several strange dances involving the ensemble and very long sticks, and a couple of dumb shows involving a horse costume (which handily defecates onstage). There’s a lot of the wink-wink slapstick comedy that sustained Shakespeare’s plebian audiences. So kudos to director Ron Daniels for upholding the play’s brash comedic authenticity, at least. While I appreciate the clever double-entredre wordplay around words like “bush” and “tail,” I could have done without the fake horse poop and the stick dances. And the neon sign.

Fortunately the actors know their stuff. With a lesser cast, this production might easily have devolved into a lot of sequined sound and fury, signifying nothing. This Petruchio and Katherine have a palpable chemistry together, which is often lacking, and this cast is the most energetic of the three plays. Jonno Roberts as Petrucio is as happily charming and charismatic as you might expect; Emily Swallow’s Katherine is strong and acerbic, almost too much so—her capitulation to Petruchio’s charms seems forced, like she’s waiting until they’re alone offstage to kill him. I can’t say that I’d blame her. But hey, it’s not often we get to enjoy a strong Shakespearean female lead (or at least one that doesn’t have to resort to cross-dressing somewhere in the play).

Written by William Shakespeare
Directed by Ron Daniels
With Michael Stewart Allen (Tranio), Shirine Babb (Widow), Donald Carrier (Hortensio), Craig Dudley (Tailor, Vincentio), Charles Janasz (Pedant, Curtis), Joseph Marcell (Gremio), Jordan McArthur (Biondello), Jonno Roberts (Petruchio), Adrian Sparks (Baptista Minola), Emily Swallow (Katherine), Bruce Turk (Grumio), Bree Welch (Bianca) and Jay Whittaker (Lucentio) with Andrew Dahl, Grayson DeJesus, Ben Diskant, Christian Durso, Kevin Hoffman, Andrew Hutcheson and Steven Marzolf (Ensemble)
Set Design: Ralph Funicello
Lighting Design: Alan Burrett
Sound Design: Christopher R. Walker
Costume Design: Deirdre Clancy
Original Music: Shaun Davey
Running Time: Two hours and fifty minutes with one fifteen-minute intermission
The Old Globe; 1363 Old Globe Way, San Diego; 619-23-GLOBE
Tickets $29 - $78
Schedule varies
June 16 – September 26, 2010