Taming Of The Shrew At Stratford Library

From Hudson Shakespeare Co.: The Hudson Shakespeare Company returns to Stratford Library, 2203 Main Street, for its 26th season of touring summerShakespeare on Saturday, July 1 @2pm with a retro spin on Shakespeare’s classic war of the sexes romp – “Taming ofthe Shrew”. The show is being performed in their outdoor amphitheater and admission is free. The action is moved fromthe 1590s to 1960s Italy and reintroduces the characters in this new period and foreign setting taking influences fromFellini’s “La Dolce Vita” and AMC’s “Mad Men”.Katherina or Kate (London Griffith) is a well to do young woman who has very different views of the moronic men hermother (Sharon Cacciabaudo) thinks are good potential husbands for both her and Kate’s conniving sister Bianca(Hannah Coffey).

Unimpressed with the current crop of hopefuls, such as the old and traditional wine merchant Gremio(Charlie Leeder) and the oafish wannabe musician Hortensio (Joesph Ramondino), Kate feels that no man can match herintellect and be a worthy match. However, some new arrivals to town are about to show both the opinionated Kate andherattention seeking sister Bianca to new possibilities.Petruchio (Michael Gardiner), a well-traveled and well lived business man, has come to town to visit his old friendHortensio along with his new bohemian and rough and tumble cousin Grumio (Katherine Gage). While Petruchio appearsto have it all together, he’s growing world weary and is looking to settle down but not just with anyone, someone withmoney.Hortensio seeing an opportunity to get closer to Bianca easily convinces Petruchio that Katherina would be a good matchfor him despite the fact that she has quite the fiery temperament. Hortensio needs to get Kate married off before anyonecan next to Bianca. Petruchio accepts the challenge the court the uncourtable Kate.

While it now looks like smooth sailingfor Hortensio, a new, suave student Lucentio (Tom Duke) and his crafty cousin Tranio (Kimmy Dunn) arrive to study atthe local university. Lucentio, loving being away from home and falling in love with new surroundings also fallsimmediately in love upon seeing Bianca.To get closer to Bianca, Lucentio hatches a crazy plan disguise himself as a nerdy tutor and Tranio helps him out byimpersonating him trying to also court Bianca. The plan works but not to be undone, the usual button down Hortensiopretends to be a beatnick musician to get closer to Bianca. Bianca, loving the extra attention, gets more than she barginsfor.As Petruchio prepares to lock horns with Kate, he finds he has to outsmart her to get on her good side. Kate is bothtaken aback by this crazy lunatic of man but also has shades of something more, perhaps someone who can finallymatch her unconventional views.Written in the early 1590s, “Taming of the Shrew” has been both a crowd pleaser filled with colorful characters andcomic bits inspired by Italian Commedia Dell’Arte such as the Elizabeth Taylor/Richard Burton version and a lightning rodof controversy over the treatment of Kate.

According to director Jon Ciccarelli the beauty of Shakespeare is that the samework can inspire so many different takes.“Its incredible that these 400 year old plays can still inspire debate and new interpretations however you have to becareful that any choices are supported by the text. Shakespeare’s strength is that he can show both sides of an issuewhere you emphasize with them equally. Petruchio can come off as fortune seeking, misogynist however, Kate is alsoboth physically and verbally abusive to people around her.”, he said. “However, by the end of the play both of them areendearing and you root for them to get together.”In transposing the action to 1960s Italy, Ciccarelli wanted to try something new with the show. “I have seen bothmodern, New York set presentations, which I find a bit dull, and period specific which are more English based andwondering what else could I do with this.”, he said. Inspired by his parents newlywed years in early 60s Rome, Ciccarellidecided to immerse the action in the era and setting. “The production is very much inspired by pictures and stories thatmy parents shared with me about a time in their lives when they first married and I thought this would make a uniquetake on an Italian set show about couples getting together.”The Hudson Shakespeare Company has been touring to Shakespeare and modern titles to NJ parks, libraries and othercivic locations since 1992. Admission to the show is free.

In case of inclement weather the show will be held inside thelibrary.Saturday, July 1st @ 2pmStratford Library2203 Main St, Stratford, CT 06615The company will be returning with 90s grunge inspired “Romeo and Juliet” in July and a horror-inspired Macbeth toNorth Jersey libraries in October. For more information on “Taming of the Shrew” and other upcoming productions,please visit www.hudsonshakespeare.com.

Images Courtesy of Hudson Shakespeare Co.