Don’t spoil two houses.
Is a German expression used when two objectionable individuals get together as a couple. It sums up Shakespeare’s THE TAMING OF THE SHREW. Throw in a creative concept and the directorial ability to carry that concept through to its logical, and more importantly, consistent conclusion and you have a masterpiece production, which frankly should tour internationally, making its first stop at the Barbican in London.
Directed by Aimée Bruneau, this production, at Seattle Shakespeare Company, illustrates the point that it is through the particulars that one expresses the universal. Shakespeare had a universal theme, which he put into the social setting of the 16th Century. Ms. Bruneau updated the particulars to a modern day setting, and expressed the universal message of the struggle that every marriage goes through in accepting compromises and changing oneself for the better, in order to accommodate a relationship.
In Padua, the well-off Baptista family has two daughters, the younger one an angelic beauty queen, who attracts men like nectar attracts bees. The older sister, Kate, who in Shakespeare’s time would have had to be married off before the younger, is an anti-social rough shrew, who scares away most men, until an impecunious eccentric comes to woo her. Ostensibly attracted to her because of her immense dowry, he decides to “tame” her (without kindness) because there is a profound sexual and emotional attraction as well. In fact he could use a little taming himself, which is why Kate eagerly engages in psychological and physical battle with him.
Ms. Bruneau placed this production of SHREW in Red Neck territory, specifically in a Southern trailer park, which was brilliant because linguistically Shakespeare’s language shares many of the archaic aspects of Southern American dialect. The intonation pattern and over-the-top complicated metaphors of Shakespeare and Southern are similar. In my opinion, using a Southern accent is what made this Shakespeare the best I have ever seen, even after a year spent at the Barbican every Monday night.
In terms of acting there was not a weak performance in the cast; how could there be, when the cast was having so much fun entertaining the audience. Petruchio, played by David Quicksall, was the definitive Petruchio of all time, vibrant, hilarious, displaying his masculinity like a prancing Peacock and through costuming as well as his mutton-chop side-burns, he looked the part of a Red-Neck M.C.P. ( male chauvinist pig) Kelly Kitchens, as Kate, dressed as a motocycle-riding variant of a 40’s “tough broad”, was a perfect match for Petruchio. Keith Dahlgren as Gremio and Karen Jo Fairbrook as Mama Baptista all delivered the goods. Vocally this show was very strong, everybody in the cast could handle the complex language with panache.
The technical aspects of the show were formidable especially the costumes by K.D. Schill, which were completely authentic, and very imaginative. Down to the facial hair of the male actors, all the little details, such as the props, sound effects, music and the set were totally accurate and extremely amusing.
The big difficulty of directing this somewhat misogynist play, is how to make audiences accept Kate’s irksome “wifely obedience” speech, the content of which makes most women want to start burning their bras. It is unfortunately the penultimate moment in the play. Ms. Bruneau solved this problem ingeniously, instead of ending the play with something that doesn’t sit well with the audience, she had an upbeat dance number between Kate’s speech and the last line, which looked authentically Southern. So the audience forgot about the sick-making Obedience Speech and walked out happy.
If you only see one Shakespeare production in your lifetime, let it be this one as it was lively, genuinely funny, and consistent. It would have made the Bard proud. It is advisable to buy your tickets asap.
THE TAMING OF THE SHREW by William Shakespeare, directed by Amée Bruneau, Seattle Shakespeare Company. Playhouse at Seattle Center ( formerly Intiman theatre) 305 Harrison, Seattle. Thru May 12. www.seattleshakespeare.org