Princeton Shakespeare Company’s “The Taming of the Shrew” takes to the stage this Thursday for its second and final weekend of performances. Directed by Maeli Goren ’15, this production occupies a space somewhere between traditional reproductions of Shakespeare’s comedy and more progressive theatrical choices. Although “Taming” benefits from stellar performances from its main actors and a general high energy among the cast, the show’s more problematic issues remain unaddressed due to a lack of clear direction.
“The Taming of the Shrew” follows crazy bitch Katherina Minola and her snobby princess of a sister Bianca as men try to win their affections through deception and abuse. If you’ve ever seen “10 Things I Hate About You,” it’s basically that, except instead of singing The Four Seasons in a football stadium to win stubborn Katherina’s affections, Petruchio starves her, deprives her of sleep and stifles her independent thought. While Katherina struggles in her new marriage, Bianca is set upon by suitors who masquerade as tutors in order to find a way to be closer to her, which is exactly as creepy as it sounds. At the play’s end, both Katherina and Bianca have married their respective deranged beaus, and Katherina delivers a speech in which she preaches the importance of serving one’s husband. Everyone in the room is confused and upset, except all the men, who are like, “This bitch gets it.”
Clearly Shakespeare was having a lot of feelings toward womankind when he wrote “Taming,” because there are a lot of problematic issues to address — namely the instances of blatant misogyny and relationship violence. This makes “Taming” an interesting choice for PSC to take on, but there are certain theatrical devices available to mitigate the show’s more unsavory aspects. Goren employs one of these in her development of the chemistry between Katherina and Petruchio.
Freshman Maddie Reese ’16 plays Katherina with just the right mix of ferocity, sensuality and wit to make her a believable female lead. Reese delivers her lines as if it were normal to say shit like “Minion, thou liest. Is’t not Hortensio?” which is a pretty impressive feat. Reese comes across as more of a hot Regina George than an actual insane person, which makes the significant portion of dialogue dedicated to talking about how crazy Katherina is less believable.
Reese is more than an even match for Petruchio, played with gusto by Pat Rounds ’15. Rounds and Reese play with their attraction, often rolling around the stage in physical (but sexy) fights, like Simba and Nala in “The Lion King.” When Katherina and Petruchio seem like they genuinely have feelings for each other, it’s easier for the audience to perceive Petruchio’s mind games as a consensual battle of wits rather than a one-sided power play.
However, the attraction between Petruchio and Katherina begins to break down as Katherina suffers, you know, abuse. Petruchio is a seriously unsympathetic character as he tears Katherina’s dress to shreds and knocks her food on the ground in order to break her independent spirit. When Katherina finally molds her ways to Petruchio’s, it seems as though this is only a temporary solution, a band-aid on the festering wound that is Petruchio’s psychosis. But Katherina’s final speech raises more questions than it answers with respect to the future of their marriage.
Reese delivers Katherina’s final speech completely straight, imbuing each declaration about womanly obedience with a sinister undercurrent. Some of the characters on stage react in utter horror, including Katherina’s sister, Bianca (played by Carlie Robbins ’14) and even her husband Petruchio. Others remain unmoved, and yet others treat the speech as ironic, smiling along as Katherina speaks. This mix of emotions present on stage leaves the audience with no context with which to understand the true meaning of Katherina’s speech.
While I’m all for not tying things up with a neat little bow, this play is too complex to leave loose ends which audience members must sift through on their own. This single speech determines the entire tone and message of the play. Even when Katherina smiles and bows to her husband at the end of the speech, it is unclear whether this is a signal of her happy obedience or just the conclusion of a performance. The conflicting spread of emotions laid out on stage does not help the audience to understand whether Katherina has been brainwashed or is simply manipulating her husband.
The actors utilize the space available to them in Whitman Theatre and never shy away from an opportunity to interact with the audience. Great performances from the main characters and an ensemble of enthusiastic, vocal performers combine to create an enjoyable show despite a somewhat ambiguous message. Also, Grumio (played by Dan Ames GS). Grumio is the best. Grumio should have his own spin-off show.
3.5 out of 5 paws.
Pros: Solid individual performances, high energy.
Cons: Problematic play, raises more questions than it answers.
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