For its fall production, the Maricopa High School Theater Company is performing William Shakespeare’s “The Taming of the Shrew.” But it won’t quite be the standard interpretation.[quote_box_right]IF YOU GO
What: “The Taming of the Shrew”
When: Nov. 9-11, 7 p.m., Nov. 11 2 p.m.
Where: MHS Performing Arts Center, 45012 W. Honeycutt Ave.
Info: MHS.MaricopaUSD.org[/quote_box_right]
In fact, a scene and characters have been added, and the ending goes in a different direction. The play will be performed Nov. 9-11 at the Performing Arts Center at 7 p.m. with a 2 p.m. Saturday matinee.
Considered a classic yet problematic play for modern audiences, “The Taming of the Shrew” is a battle of the sexes that can be interpreted as either misogynistic or liberating. A central scene has the main character, Katharina, being psychologically and even physically tormented.
“Of course, with the whole abuse thing – oooh,” said senior Collin Martin, shaking his head. “But of course, we changed that.”
Collin plays the co-lead Petruchio, who woos Katharina – initially to gain her fortune. She’s not the only woman being wooed, but few of the women have much say in their futures. Because Katharina speaks up, often forcefully, she’s labeled a shrew.
“Some versions go to the major extreme where she’s like crazy, but we didn’t want to go so far as that,” said junior Aidyn Curtis, who plays Katharina. “It’s not that she’s crazy; she just wants to be heard. She wants to get her voice out, especially in a time when women couldn’t be heard as well.”
Theater instructor and play director Cynthia Calhoun, who also wrote additional content, made that silence literal in this interpretation. With the major exception of Katharina, many of the female characters communicate only through sign language. For the benefit of the audience, another actor provides the voice.
“Both are seen on stage, but one of the girls does the sign language for it. They both work together to portray the role,” Aidyn said.
Aidyn said she sees Katharina follow an arch similar to Petruchio’s, aggressive and fractious at first and then eventually insightful.
“I’m a rich dude. I even have a line, ‘I want to wive and thrive as best I may,’ so that line gives away my personality,” Collin said. “Petruchio’s really bold, but he does it so that he can get to an objective. He’s very straight-forward. He wants to have a wealthy wife. He doesn’t care how she looks; he’s just trying to get a wife.”
In the plot, wealthy Baptista (Britney Montgomery) has two daughters of very different temperament. Katharina is out-spoken and opinionated, not what any man of the time wants to deal with. Her younger sister Bianca (Autumn Fausz) knows how to win a man over, but she is not allowed to wed until Katharina is married off, a seeming impossibility. Lucentio (Stirling Luckey) falls for Bianca and concocts a scheme of confused identities to court her. Also vying for Bianca’s hand, Hortensio (Porter Jones) and Gremio (Logan Spaulding) plot to find a willing suitor for Katharina to get her out of the way. What arrives is Petruchio, who soon gets Baptista’s permission to marry Katharina despite all her loud objections.
Petruchio then sets off on an elaborate plan to win over his bride, or at least “tame” her. In the middle of this, students of the Bard might notice some additional text, especially a new wedding scene.
“In Shakespeare, there are a lot of things that happen off stage that a messenger or someone just tells you about, and Calhoun didn’t like that so much,” Curtis said. “So, she added those scenes back in so you can see that action unfolding.”
Collin was previously seen in MHS Theatre Company’s “Les Miserables,” “You Can’t Take It with You” and “Wit.” Aidyn has been in “Pirates of Penzance,” “Les Miserables” and “Beauty and Beast” and has been stage manager. This is the first lead role for both of them.
Cast:
Petruchio – Collin Martin
Katarina – Aidyn Curtis
Lucentio – Stirling Luckey
Bianca – Autumn Fausz
Bianca’s Voice – Taryn Story
Tranio – Carlos Aguilar
Biondello – Taya Johnson
Grumio – Ivie Keene
Gremio – Logan Spaulding
Hortensio – Porter Jones
Baptista – Britney Montgomery
Pedant – Kade Kruse
Vincentio – Douglas Moulton
Widow – Hannah Panter
Widow’s Voice – Angelina George
Margarita – Alexia Esquivel
Margarita’s Voice – Joycelyn Cabrera
Camila – Kjirsten Lemon
Camila’s Voice – Haley Lemon
Tailor – Genevieve Burno
Haberdasher – Rachel Knight
Friar – Emily Goncalves
Curtis – Azeri Hansen
Nicolette – Francis
Philippa – Brianna Hollingsworth
Josefa – Alex-Ann Velasco
Petra – Emmeline Boothe
Ensemble – The People of Merida:
Evelyn Bates, Grace Becking, Keara Burke, Isabella Chitwood, Zephanie Coleman, Harrison Delap, Madison Delap, Madison Ewald, Fallon Fruchey, Aubree Goettl, Dallas Grimm, Wynnie Grissom, Haley Gross, Tamara Hanania, Katie Hanks, Makayla Horn, Scotland JanFrancisco, Savannah Jones, Alexis Price, Caterina Rizzi, Emma Schrader, Chloe Seekings, Katelyn Stroschein, Lauryn Yazzie, Chaienne Zoller
This story appears in the November issue of InMaricopa.
