This “Shrew” crackles through the gender politics of today
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – Pigeon Creek Shakespeare Company doesn’t hesitate to have a good time with the work of the Bard. They approach even his most problematic works with enthusiasm, commitment and plain-old fun.
Taming of the Shrew is a tough one these days. Let’s admit it, today, Petruchio would be considered an abuser who is gas-lighting his wife. And most (though not all) of Kate’s “shrewishness” is simply her insistence that she be allowed to choose the details of her life.
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That said, the play is what it is. And when you set aside any feminist queasiness, it’s quite funny.
Pigeon Creek made the unusual choice of including the Christopher Sly opening – setting up that all of Taming of the Shrew was merely a conceit, a play within a play meant to help deceive a drunkard into thinking he was a Lord. It is, perhaps, a choice that helps alleviate some of the bitterness of the play’s basic misogyny. It is all, they tell us, merely a practical joke played upon the uneducated and uninitiated, meant to play to baser instincts.
Pigeon Creek is a company that relies on its ensemble – actors who return repeatedly to play upon the stage and grow comfortable with the way the company uses Original Practices, such as general lighting, addressing the audience, gender-blind casting and doubling. That said, two relative newcomers were cast in the key roles of Kate and Petruchio.
Brieanne Roper makes for an elegant, statuesque Kate. She is commanding whenever she is on stage and creates a sympathetic Kate. Which is not to say she doesn’t own the scenes where she puts her shrewishness on full display. Her voice is strong and reverberates through the small space. She has wonderful physicality and is a perfect match for Petruchio in their combat scenes. One never doubts that Roper is an actress who can take care of herself and does her best to keep Kate from being merely a victim.
John Scritchfield makes his first appearance with Pigeon Creek as Petruchio. He slides easily into their style, developing an immediate rapport with the audience and embracing the comic elements of this suitor-turned-husband. He is full of energy and there is no hesitation in the way he charges onto the scene and flummoxes all those who are of calmer and more conventional bent.
Together, Roper and Scritchfield dance a wild tango that builds in tension until it explodes in passion. They feed each other with each step and are a delight to watch.
Kate and Bianca’s father, Baptista Minola, is played by Pigeon Creek veteran Scott Wright. He is an outstanding actor with a gentle, accessible command of the language and the physicality that makes Shakespeare so much fun in the hands of this company. Once again, he is a skilled storyteller who is able to give the exposition without it ever losing its theatrical flair.
Jacqueline Frid plays the younger daughter and more sought-after wife, Bianca. She is cute and superficially compliant, but we never see from her the passion or chemistry in her scenes with Lauren Ashley’s Lucentio that is exhibited in her sister’s wooing. This is perhaps an apt directorial choice as Bianca’s character is never really meant to be one of legend. Shakespeare’s attention is lathered on her sister, the far more interesting question.
Scott Lange’s Tranio plays well off Ashley Normand’s Biondello, two servants who are far more in charge than their master. They manipulate the nobles well, making their lives infinitely more entertaining.
Directed by Kat Hermes, this Taming of the Shrew is a fast-paced romp that lasts two and a half hours. She doesn’t shy away from any of the play’s problematic scenes nor does she try to manipulate it to say something that betrays the play’s original intentions. It is a true rendering of the play, designed to entertain and make its audiences laugh.
And for a Shakespeare play, Pigeon Creek attracts a remarkably young audience. The seats of Dog Story’s back box space were filled with young adults interspersed with the more middle-aged folks. They were fully engaged and it was clear that the comedic elements of the show hit home with those who had come to be entertained.
Another Pigeon Creek tradition is that they come out and play modern music before the show and during intermission that relates in some way to the theme and gets people grinning. In this show, the interlude featured Kate and Petruchio (Roper and Scritchfield) continuing their battle through music, with Roper singing “Stupid Girl” and Scritchfield singing “Under My Thumb.”
In all, the evening’s show was entertaining and brought out the best of Shakespearean comedy—a physical and verbal romp through a twisted story that includes a heated rivalry, disguises, trickery, a play within a play and the constant interplay of classes. If it leaves one a little queasy about the gender politics and male domination, perhaps the audience can take comfort in the idea that we’ve come a long way since then. Maybe.