Taming of the Shrew(s) : Explorations of Gender and Power in Directing an Original Adaptation of William Shakespeare\u27s The Taming of the Shrew

In Fall 2021, I directed my own adaptation of Shakespeare’s Taming of the Shrew, entitled “Taming of the Shrew(s).” This project served as both the creative portion of my honors thesis as well as a Senior Showcase within the Bucknell Department of Theatre & Dance. From a young age, I have been fascinated by the malleability of Shakespeare’s plays, and having acted in and seen multiple productions of The Taming of the Shrew, my project began with a desire to take on the gendered complexities of this so-called “problem play.” The Taming of the Shrew is problematic in its sexist depiction of courting and married life. The central premise revolves around a male, Petruchio, “taming” a female, Katherine, as one might tame a bird or an animal. In the play, Kate is shamed for being a purported “shrew,” and it is on the grounds of her “shrewishness” that Petruchio feels entitled to tear her clothes, starve her, and deprive her of sleep. However, the play itself calls into question who the “real” shrew may be, with a secondary character named Curtis saying, “By this reck’ning, he is more shrew than she” (4.1.79). Because I didn’t understand how a text could seemingly be played for laughs at a wife’s expense while also showcasing a fierce and brilliant woman, I decided to explore how the very same script could be performed in drastically different ways, especially if actors altered their intonation, movement, and/or interactions with each other. Thus, I adapted Shakespeare’s text, cutting it down to a 25-minute script which would be performed three times, with three sets of actors playing Katherine and Petruchio, and with each version taking on a distinct interpretation of their power dynamics. I then cast, rehearsed, and devised additional parts of the script in collaboration with my actors, particularly a series of interstitial sections where the three Katherines addressed the audience, taking on the blatant sexism within the text. Ultimately, my cast performed the “Taming of the Shrew(s)” three times from September 24th–26th, 2021. In this thesis, then, I discuss my process of conceiving of, researching, and adapting Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew into the “Taming of the Shrew(s),” and I also detail my directorial decisions. In Section I, I introduce my project and examine the overall cultural perception of Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew. In Section II, I analyze how the original text of The Taming of the Shrew supports the three distinct interpretations I directed in the “Taming of the Shrew(s).” In Section III, I explore the performance history of The Taming of the Shrew from the Renaissance to the present day, touching on previous performances and adaptations that influenced my project. In Section IV, I talk about the process of adapting Shakespeare’s script, including how my adaptation occurred both on the page and also through the rehearsal process, creating moments of theatre in collaboration with my actors. In this section, I also discuss the technical choices I made for the costumes, props, and the set of my production. In Section V, I offer a conclusion about why the “Taming of the Shrew(s)” strives to ask questions about gender and power rather than answer them. Finally, my Supplementary Materials include a recording of the “Taming of the Shrew(s)” performance, my adapted script, and production photos, while my Appendix provides artifacts from the production, including samples of my notes, props and costume sheets, and production posters

The Taming of the Shrew

The playbill for Taylor University’s Fall 1973 performance of The Taming of the Shrew by William Shakespeare. The Taming of the Shrew follows the courtship and marriage of Petruchio and Katherina, a headstrong shrew and how Petruchio tames her.https://pillars.taylor.edu/playbills/1220/thumbnail.jp

The Taming of the Shrew

The playbill for Taylor University’s Spring 1927 performance of The Taming of the Shrew by William Shakespeare. The Taming of the Shrew follows the courtship and marriage of Petruchio and Katherina, a headstrong shrew and how Petruchio tames her.https://pillars.taylor.edu/playbills/1306/thumbnail.jp

Summer of Shrew, Part 2: Tamed? Really?

In the second of a four-part series on Shakespeare\u27s The Taming of the Shrew, Daniel Pollack-Pelzner argues that Shakespeare’s play raises challenging questions about the way we define gender roles, and the answers aren’t as obvious as they might seem

Circumstantial Adjuncts Used in the Tale “the Taming of the Shrew”

The study deals with the use of circumstantial adjuncts in the tale “ The Taming of the Shrew”. The sources of data were adopted from one of the six tales from Shakespeare which are retold by E.F Dood, namely “ The Merchant of Venice”, “The Tempest”, “Julius Caesar”, “The Taming of the Shrew”, “King Lear”, and “Macbeth” from which “The Taming of the Shrew” was taken as sample. Descriptive analysis technique is used to find new evidence to prove the thruth of the story. It is also used to find out the dominant type of circumstantial adjuncts used in the tale. The finding indicates that only eight of the nine types of circumstantial adjuncts were found in the tale. Through the analysis done the dominant type that usually occurs is location. Meanwhile circumstantial adjunct of angel is the only type which is not found in the tale

Summer of Shrew, Part 1: A Tale of Two Cities

In the first of a four-part series on Shakespeare\u27s The Taming of the Shrew, Daniel Pollack-Pelzner introduces two high-concept professional productions of the play — one in Ashland, Oregon at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, and one in Portland, Oregon at the Portland Shakespeare Project

Power, Performativity, and Gender in Shakespeare\u27s The Taming of the Shrew

Literary critic Theresa Kemp proposes a conservative interpretation of William Shakespeare’s play The Taming of the Shrew; Kemp believes that Shakespeare reinforces gender constructs and celebrates the historic oppression of women. Amy Smith analyzes The Taming of the Shrew through the theoretical framework of performativity, focusing on identity and theatricality in the play. In this essay, I will contrast Smith’s analysis of The Taming of the Shrew with Kemp’s. I will provide evidence in favor of Smith’s reading of The Taming of the Shew, and address elements of the play which are disruptive of the hierarchal vision. Katherine (Kate) Minola is the unruly female actor, scorned and prohibited during the English Renaissance. Kate rejects constructs of gender and courtship in favor of autonomy, expression, and desire. Kate adapts to an oppressive environment by performing a subversive, public identity as a vehicle for self-preservation and empowerment

Review of The Taming of the Shrew: Critical Essays Ed. Dana E Aspinall (New York: Routledge, 2002).

Review of The Taming of the Shrew: Critical Essays Ed. Dana E Aspinall (New York: Routledge, 2002)

The Taming of the Shrew

The Taming of the Shrew is a comedy written between 1590 and 1592. The play begins with a framing device, often referred to as the induction, in which a mischievous nobleman tricks a drunken tinker named Christopher Sly into believing he is actually a nobleman himself. The nobleman then has the play performed for Sly\u27s diversion. The Taming of the Shrew. (2017, May 26). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 18:53, May 31, 2017, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Taming_of_the_Shrew&oldid=782414607https://digitalcommons.otterbein.edu/production_1959-1960/1000/thumbnail.jp

Summer of Shrew, Part 3: A Sly Conceit

In the third of a four-part series on Shakespeare\u27s The Taming of the Shrew, Daniel Pollack-Pelzner asks, what if Kate’s story isn’t the play’s only reality? Pollack-Pelzner explores how a drunken beggar and an earlier version of the script shift the brawling balances of the play and call into question who the real shrew is