Shakespeare's "Shrew" A Story of Love, Says Director

"The Taming of the Shrew" can be a difficult play for modern audiences, who may view it through the lens of feminism as encouraging hatred of women.

Bonnie Monte, artistic director of the Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey, thinks it's time for a reappraisal of the Shakespeare comedy, which inspired the Cole Porter musical "Kiss Me, Kate" as well as a recent movie and television show, both called "10 Things I Hate About You."

She chose "Shrew" as the first production of her 20th season at the Madison theater because she believes it has been "misdirected and misperceived" in recent years.

"In its essence, it's a very compelling and appealing love story," she said.

That story involves Katherina, or "Kate," whose father is desperate to marry her off, and Petruchio, a young man who is dirt broke and willing to marry any woman for her money.

Kate's younger sister, Bianca, meanwhile has a choice of suitors, who come up with all types of schemes to get close to her.

Monte said Kate has become a shrew–or ill-tempered, scolding woman–when Petruchio meets her because of the way that she–a young, intelligent, independent woman–has been treated by a society that views women as a commodity.

Monte calls the plot "a double taming" because both Kate and Petruchio help each other become better people.

As Petruchio deprives his new bride of food and sleep and treats her in the way she has been treating all those around her, she learns to let go of her constant anger. And he learns that marriage has to be an equal partnership based on love, Monte said.

Shakespeare, who wrote the play in the 1590s, set it in Italy and included Italian phrases in the dialogue.

Sound designer Karin Graybash has added Italian folk and popular music played on modern instruments to establish the setting and advance the action.

Monte, who directed this production, placed it in a non-realistic landscape, with tall trees made of cardboard in front of a screen that covers the back wall of the stage and changes colors. A narrow tower-like structure in the middle of the stage is turned and surrounded by flowers in one scene and orange trees in another to represent different places in Padua and Verona where the play occurs.

The costumes, designed by Erin Murphy, look similar to clothes of the 1930s and 1940s. That was done to show the story is both timeless and contemporary, Monte said.

"The dilemmas of the play are as relevant now as they were in Shakespeare's time or 70 to 80 years ago," she added.

The cast features many faces familiar to Shakespeare Theatre audiences. Victoria Mack, who plays Kate, has appeared there in "King Lear" and "Pride and Prejudice," and Steve Wilson, who plays Petruchio, had a leading role in "Twelfth Night," the final play of the past season.