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The Taming of the Shrew


By William Shakespeare
Directed by Carolyn Blackinton

Dates: April 21 - 24, 2010
Place: Hainline Theatre
Time: 7:30 p.m.
Price: Public $14.00; Senior/WIU Student: $12.00
Ticket Contact: Hainline Box Office 309.298.2900 (NOON to 5:00 PM)

Katharina and Petruchio are definitely not like Romeo and Juliet. In The Taming of the Shrew, Shakespeare creates a comedy that explores Elizabethan issues of gender. The idea of "taming" one's wife in Elizabethan England was a common one, and was coupled with a popular image of the shrewish wife in the male-dominated literary tradition. Shakespeare's version is less unpleasant than others, but it can be a difficult play for modern audiences. Nonetheless, it poses important questions and has some memorable poetry.

The Taming of the Shrew is an early comedy by William Shakespeare believed to have been written between 1590 and 1594.[1] The play begins with a framing device, often referred to as the Induction, in which a drunken tinker named Sly is tricked into thinking he is a nobleman by a mischievous Lord.

The Lord has a play performed for Sly's amusement with a primary and sub-plot. The main plot depicts the courting of Petruchio, a gentleman of Verona, and Katherina, the headstrong, obdurate, and eponymous shrew. Initially, Katherina is an unwilling participant in the relationship but Petruchio tempers her with various psychological torments - the "taming" - until she is an obedient bride. The sub-plot features a competition between the suitors of Katherina's less intractable sister, Bianca.

The play's misogynistic elements have become the subject of considerable controversy, particularly among modern audiences and readers. It has nevertheless been adapted numerous times for stage, screen, opera, and musical theatre; the most famous adaptation being Cole Porter's Kiss Me, Kate.

For more information:

Call the Department of Theatre and Dance 309.298.1543