The Taming of the Shrew

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Hannah Jo Anderson

Daniel José Molina, Colleen Madden, Casey Hoekstra, Alejandra Escalante and James Ridge (left to right) in "The Taming of the Shrew," American Players Theatre, 2021.

While it’s one of Shakespeare’s most easily comprehended and rollicking comedies, The Taming of the Shrew has not fared well in recent years because of its undeniable sexism. APT tackles the problem play by seeing it as “a satire about how society tries to bend this couple into shapes they’re simply not built for.” It will be exciting to see how these Shakespeare pros fare. ALSO: Friday (7:30 p.m.), Saturday (6 p.m.), Sunday (1 & 6 p.m.), and Tuesday (7:30 p.m.), Oct. 15-19. Through Nov. 14; find the schedule and tickets (including an online option) at americanplayers.org.

media release: October 14 - November 14

In Padua, the wealthy Lucentio stumbles across a woman he immediately believes to be the love of his life. The problem is that said woman, Bianca, already has multiple suitors. And to complicate matters further, she will not be allowed to marry until after her sister, Katherine, has walked down the aisle herself. Kate is a bit of a wild card, though, and marriage is not on her mind. So Lucentio and Bianca rope in a gold digger, Petruchio, who agrees to pursue Kate. This infamous will-they-won’t-they couple engages in the usual fray in a brand new way in this five-actor adaptation of the classic Shakespearean comedy.

The Taming of the Shrew will feature APT newcomers Alejandra Escalante and Daniel Molina as Kate and Petruchio. Three other actors will play all the other roles. They include Core Company Member James Ridge, Casey Hoekstra and Colleen Madden.

Brenda DeVita said, “The Taming of the Shrew is a play that, taken at face value, may make us question if it’s a story we still want to tell today. And the answer is, actually, yes it is. Shana Cooper is an amazing director, and she truly believes that this play, as written, is a satire about how women are treated in society. When you look at it through that lens, it very much speaks to the times we’re in. I think it will be exciting to subvert people’s ideas of what this play is, and what it can be. I am so excited to have these two plays on stage this fall. I can’t wait.”