Bianca in The Taming of the Shrew | Study.com Bianca in The Taming of the Shrew Watch short & fun videos Start Your Free Trial Today Instructor: John Gonzales John has 20+ years experience teaching at the college level in areas that include English and American literature, Humanities, and Interdisciplinary Studies. Add to Add to Add to Want to watch this again later? Log in or sign up to add this lesson to a Custom Course. Custom Courses are courses that you create from Study.com lessons. Use them just like other courses to track progress, access quizzes and exams, and share content. Teachers Organize and share selected lessons with your class. Make planning easier by creating your own custom course. Students Create a new course from any lesson page or your dashboard. From any lesson page: Click "Add to" located below the video player and follow the prompts to name your course and save your lesson. From your dashboard: Click on the "Custom Courses" tab, then click "Create course". Next, go to any lesson page and begin adding lessons. Edit your Custom Course directly from your dashboard. Personalize: Name your Custom Course and add an optional description or learning objective. Organize: Create chapters to group lesson within your course.

Remove and reorder chapters and lessons at any time. Share your Custom Course or assign lessons and chapters. Teacher Edition: Share or assign lessons and chapters by clicking the "Teacher" tab on the lesson or chapter page you want to assign. Students' quiz scores and video views will be trackable in your "Teacher" tab. Premium Edition: You can share your Custom Course by copying and pasting the course URL. Only Study.com members will be able to access the entire course. Meet Bianca Milano from William Shakespeare's raucous comedy, ~'The Taming of the Shrew.~' This lesson discusses Bianca's character evolution in the play and invites you to consider who the shrew really is when the curtain closes in the final act. Sisters Going Different Directions The character Bianca Minola in William Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew appears to be a perfect opposite to her older sister Katherina/Kate, the shrew of the play's title. Kate is willful, outspoken, and rebellious, whereas Bianca appears to be a model of obedience and modesty. This opposition holds true in a surprising way over the course of the play.

As Kate becomes more cooperative and more compliant, Bianca grows bolder, more confident, and more shrewish. By the end of the play, a complete reversal occurs. Shakespeare, being Shakespeare, has gratified the male egos in his audience by taming one shrew while also perpetuating the theme of the battle of the sexes with Bianca's contrasting character evolution. The Innocent Introduction Little sister/favorite daughter Bianca seems too good to be true in the opening scene of the play. Even her name, which means 'white,' implies purity, virtue, and goodness. Her humble acceptance of her father Baptista's decree that she will not be allowed to marry until her temperamental older sister Katherina does is almost martyr-like. She wishes Kate contentment in her own discontent, and tells her father that she will be obedient, and focus on her studies and personal development until Kate finds, or is found by, that elusive fiancée. An Idealized Bianca She is similarly sympathetic and seemingly perfect in the next scene. Kate has her tied up and is being downright abusive, demanding that Bianca reveal which of her many suitors she desires most.

Bianca replies that none so far has caught her eye and that Kate is welcome to any of them. She reminds Kate that she hurts them both by her mistreatment and proclaims her respect and obedience to Kate as her elder sister (Hmm . . . could that be a subtle little moment of snark, implying that Kate is an unmarried old maid? Nah, it's perfect little Bianca). As she departs the scene, it is clear that her father dotes especially on his younger daughter. It seems Bianca can do no wrong. Signs of Willfulness In Act 3, however, we begin to see another aspect of Bianca. A local bachelor, Hortensio, and a young visitor from Pisa, Lucentio, have both finagled their way into the Minola household disguised as tutors in order to sneak under Baptista's radar. While Katherina is busy dealing with Petruchio, Bianca is left to her own devices for the first time in the play. She tells her new 'tutors' that she will learn as she chooses and not at their direction. Along with this first sign of an independent spirit, we see a flirtatious and manipulative side.

She strings along Hortensio by repeatedly telling him his instrument is out of tune while she listens to Lucentio reveal his true identity and his love for her. If we weren't so completely convinced of Bianca's innocence, we might wonder at what could be implied by the idea that Hortensio is courting her with an out-of-tune instrument. As Act 3 concludes, Bianca has stopped even pretending to be the devoted younger sister. When asked her opinion on the sequence of events that turned Kate's wedding day into a bizarre spectacle of public humiliation, ending with Petruchio carrying her off like a bundle of newly purchased merchandise, Bianca replies, 'That, being mad herself, she's madly mated.' In Act 4, we see that Bianca has finally made her choice, and it is Lucentio. She does wish Hortensio well in his pursuit of a widow he knows, but now that we have a taste of her witty and catty side, this might be a sarcastic hint that the widow could be more than Hortensio bargained for. That certainly turns out to be the case in the final scene of the play. Does Bianca know something more? Why not?

She has already shown layers and depths that nobody seemed to expect from the angelic darling she first appeared to be. × The Taming Of The Shrew 2009 - Bell Shakespeare The Taming Of The Shrew 2009 BY WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE DIRECTED BY MARION POTTS Disco balls, karaoke and a daring all-female cast tell the story of a woman no ‘man’ can contain. While Lucentio fixes his gaze on sweet and gentle Bianca, Petruchio sets his sights on Bianca’s wanton sister, Kate, and vows to tame her. Directed by Marion Potts (Othello, Hamlet, Venus & Adonis), this new production of Shakespeare’s controversial comedy takes the politics of marriage to ludicrous heights. Witty, energetic and packed with female punch, The Taming Of The Shrew is the perfect night out for anyone who has ever fallen in love – and managed to survive it. The performance runs approx. 2 hours 45 minutes, including a 20 minute interval. A rich merchant of Padua, by the name of Baptista, is keen to find husbands for his two unmarried daughters.

Bianca, the youngest, has no shortage of suitors. Gremio and Hortensio are already hanging about in the hope of wooing her when Lucentio, a gentleman of Pisa, arrives in Padua to study and upon seeing Bianca decides to win her for himself. But Baptista is concerned about his eldest daughter Katherina – ‘the shrew’ – whose feisty and troublesome nature makes her more difficult to offload. He insists that Bianca will remain single until a husband is found for Katherina. Lucentio swaps identities with his servant Tranio and gets a job as Bianca’s tutor so he can be close to her. Hortensio’s friend Petruchio is in town from Verona, and agrees to help his friend by marrying Katherina – a prospect made more attractive by her healthy dowry. At their first meeting, Katherina protests angrily, as is her wont, but Petruchio takes no notice and insists that she be his wife. Baptista is delighted, and leaves the other fellows to fight it out among themselves for Bianca’s hand. Lucentio, in his disguise as tutor, seems to be making progress with Bianca.

Hortensio and Gremio are disgusted by her apparent reciprocation and decide to court her no longer. At the wedding, Petruchio shows up late – and badly dressed – and is ill-behaved throughout the ceremony. He won’t stay for the reception, despite his new wife’s wishes, and instead carries Katherina off to his country house where he withholds food, clothing and even a comfortable bed until she submits herself entirely to his will. Meanwhile, Lucentio must persuade Baptista that he comes from a wealthy family. Tranio employs a willing opportunist to stand in for Lucentio’s father, Vicentio, which does the trick, and Lucentio and Bianca elope. On their way back from their less than harmonious honeymoon, Katherina and Petruchio run into the real Vicentio, who accompanies them to Lucentio’s house. The impostor and Tranio denounce Vicentio as a villain, but the arrival of his son, Lucentio, narrowly saves him from being carted off to gaol. The identity scams and Bianca’s marriage are all revealed, and everyone’s parents accept the arrangements.

The husbands, gathered to celebrate at a combined wedding reception, place bets to see which of their brides, celebrating in another room, is the most obedient and will appear at their bidding. Katherina enters the room – the only one to come at her husband’s call. She chides the other women, delivering a speech on the virtues of wifely obedience. Director – Marion Potts 26 October 2009 Gender on the agenda It is Shakespeare’s gloves-off battle of the sexes – only this time all the roles are played by females. In so doing, director Marion Potts’ The Taming Of The Shrew, for Bell Shakespeare, aims to steer audiences away from the more notoriously misogynistic elements of the play and focus more on the central characters’ power tussles. The production is a winner, with superb performances all round. Yet many members of the audience will feel uncomfortable as they leave the theatre. Sure, we can all laugh at Petruchio’s antics, particularly as Jeanette Cronin ramps up the character’s macho tendencies, pelvic-thrusting and slurping vigorously from a bottle.

But no amount of boisterous behaviour by the actors playing men can soften either the “taming” scene or Katherina’s final speech. The setting is what appears to be an RSL or club, complete with tacky karaoke machine, which allows the characters to break, perhaps a little too often, into cheesy 1980s tunes. The story centres on rich mafioso-type Baptista (Sandy Gore) trying to marry off his two daughters, the younger, almost bimbo-like Bianca (Emily Rose Brennan) and her feisty, ill-tempered and somewhat contrary older sister Katherina (Lotte St Clair), the so-called shrew. There is no shortage of suitors for Bianca but most are wary of her sister. The trouble is, Baptista won’t allow Bianca to be married until a partner has been found for Katherina. So, money-hungry Petruchio hatches a plan with friend Hortensio (Beth Aubrey) whereby he will marry Katherina so his pal can take Bianca. Katherina doth protest but eventually succumbs.

Then comes the awkward scenes in which Petruchio cruelly deprives her of food, sleep and attention to bring her into line. Towards the end she delivers a speech that seems to indicate she has mellowed. Some feminists argue she becomes the submissive wife. Others say the playwright had his tongue firmly planted in this cheek with this play. Long may the debate rage. 24 October 2009 All-female cast puts Shakespeare’s chauvinism in its place Without castrating the play, there is no sidestepping the chauvinism of Shakespeare’s most troublesome comedy. With an all-female cast, however, the director Marion Potts’s Shrew shows her audience a way past their gag reflex. Anna Tregloan’s set design is more Padstow than Padua, a dreary, time-warped reception hall – complete with karaoke machine – that confers an air of daggy familiarity. Poker chips and playing cards are scattered on the tables. It is a place where deals are done, perfect for the wealthy Baptista (Sandy Gore in suburban Mafioso mode) to auction daughters Kate and Bianca to the highest bidder.

Little wonder that feisty, quarrelsome Kate (Lotte St Clair) is intrigued by Petruchio (Jeanette Cronin) from the minute he leaps into the room. Twitchy and livewired – cocky gait, backcombed barnet, tight pants – Petruchio is obviously no stickler for convention. Compared to Lucentio, who cooks up a role-swapping ruse with the manservant Tranio to secure Bianca (a bubbly Emily Rose Brennan), he is comparatively straightforward. What you see is what you get, although his cross-dressing antics at their betrothal suggest he will not be entirely wedded to the conventional dynamics of marriage once the deal is done. The actresses man up very effectively. The earnestness and attention to detail to the gender play mean the audience quickly accepts the inversion. Gore is particularly good, adding a measure of tonal depth and stillness to proceedings that can get a little shrill. Cronin mugs extravagantly but is frequently hilarious.

The major subplot, in which Lucentio (Luisa Hastings Edge) and Tranio (Ksenja Logos) conspire to win the hand of Kate’s rather more conformable sister, is usually a drag – no pun intended – but it is handled efficiently, with Logos excellent as the servant-impostor. The comedy is hit-and-miss early on, the pace wavers, but once the set is partially cleared after interval, the energy picks up appreciably. Canberra Times 10 October 2009 A girl’s own shrew anew It was always going to be a little tricky. How to make attractive a 400-plus-year-old play which essentially tells feisty, independent women to obey and serve their husbands. Yet William Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew continues to attract and challenge the audience and performer. Throughout the ages, the interpretation placed on Kate’s capitulation has been bent, molded and stretched in film and theatre. The role itself has been dissected by academics and feminists; it has been dismissed, shunned and celebrated.

For those unfamiliar with the plot, The Taming of the Shrew tells of a rich merchant of Padua, Baptista, who wishes to marry off his two daughters: sweet Bianca and Katherina, or Kate, the angry and independent “shrew”. While Bianca has no end of suitors, Kate is harder to match, so she must wed before her younger sister can get her man. One of Bianca’s suitors, Hortensio, has a friend, Petruchio, who is willing to marry Kate (and acquire her dowry). Despite Kate’s protestations, Petruchio has his way. He turns up to the wedding late, poorly dressed and badly behaved. He refuses to stay for the reception and instead takes a humiliated Kate to his home, where he denies her food, clothes and even bed until she bends to his will. In the meantime, another of Bianca’s suitors, Lucentio, swaps identities with his servant to be closer to Bianca, and eventually wins his girl. Throw in a husband’s gathering, where bets are placed on whose is the most obedient wife (guess who), and the portrayal of a chauvinistic, patriarchal society is complete.

So if nothing else, curiosity lures the theatergoer to this latest Bell Shakespeare presentation of a most controversial Shakespearean work. To begin with, director Marion Potts has turned the tables on the casting, taking the traditional Shakespearean model (where plays were performed by men only)and instead using and all-female cast. Her purpose, she says, is to lessen the impact of real men treating real women so badly, thus clearing the way for better focus on the dynamics of power and greed in society generally. Does this device work? In some part, yes. The play does draw more attention to the machinations within The Taming of the Shrew. And the cast take up their roles with amusing gusto (some more deft than others). Petruchio is portrayed by an energetic, charismatic Jeanette Cronin. She keeps the character light and witty for the most part; a powerful contrast for when she reveals, too briefly, Petruchio’s brutal side. The velvet-toned Sandy Gore is marvelous as the mafia-like Baptista, and a razor-sharp performance by Ksenja Logos as Tranio glues the identity together nicely. Lotte St Clair delivers a suitably Shrewish Kate.

Although her initial tirade seemed a bit purposeless, her on-stage presence becomes increasingly riveting as her interplay with Petruchio develops. I would have like to have seen so much more of their battle of wits. Their reluctant attraction, their love story, was almost glossed over in favour of a broader treatment of the story. This arguably puts Kate’s surrender into a more deliberately ambiguous light. Emily Rose Brennan’s Bianca is a terrific contrast to the more serious Kate. She brings and amusing, modern-day trashiness to her character, and manages to put a subversive dent in the play’s chauvinistic overtones. Wit has also been employed to stage Shrew in a fresh context. The set looks like a large yum cha diner complete with RSL carpet and a dash of mirror balls. Costume vary from dressing gowns and ugg boots, to fabulous frocks. And with the not-so-subtle karaoke machine providing some classic moments for song, this production adds a lot of fun into the mix. The Taming of the Shrew will always intrigue.

Interpretations will always vary widely (think 10 things I hate about you), but while this play is by no means definitive, it is a clever, entertaining and unusual spin. Give it a whirl. The Australian Taming of the Shrew Bianca tied to a chair by Sister Katherina 8/17/2014 - YouTube Taming of the Shrew Bianca tied to a chair by Sister Katherina 8/17/2014 Want to watch this again later? Sign in to add this video to a playlist. Need to report the video? Sign in to report inappropriate content. Rating is available when the video has been rented. This feature is not available right now. Please try again later. Published on Mar 24, 2015 The Taming of the Shrew is a comedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1590 and 1592. Storyline: Baptista, a rich Paduan merchant, announces that his fair young daughter, Bianca, will remain unwed until her older sister, Katharina, a hellish shrew, has wed.

Lucentio, a student and the son of a wealthy Pisan merchant, has fallen in love with Bianca. He poses as a tutor of music and poetry to gain entrance to the Baptista household and to be near Bianca. Meanwhile, Petruchio, a fortune-hunting scoundrel from Verona, arrives in Padua, hoping to capture a wealthy wife. Hortensio, another suitor of Bianca, directs Petruchio's attention to Katharina. When Hortensio warns him about Katharina's scolding tongue and fiery temper, Petruchio is challenged and resolves to capture her love. Hortensio and another suitor of Bianca, Gremio, agree to cover Petruchio's costs as he pursues Katharina. Triva: Although the play was first performed in London in 1593, it was not published until 1623, a few years after Shakespeare's death. Category The Taming of the Shrew: Notes April 19, 2015 Leave a Comment Written by Anuj Dahiya The Taming of the Shrew ‘The Taming of the Shrew’ is a comedy by Shakespeare.

The play is believed to have been written between 1590 and 1592. The play has been a subject of debate due to its association to misogyny. There are 2 plots in the play. The main plot is based on Petruchio’s attempts to ‘tame the shrew’ Katherina so that she could be ready to be an obedient bride. The subplot is about Katherina’s sister Bianca and the competition between her suitors. The play begins with an induction that tells that a drunkard Christopher Sly has been tricked into the belief that he is a lord. The play is being enacted for Sly. The ‘shrew’ mentioned in the title is Katherina. Her father Baptista Minola is a lord in Padua. Her younger sister Bianca has 2 suitors- Hortensio and Gremio. Kathrina, however, is so notorious that it is feared that no one would marry her. Baptista is not ready to marry Bianca off before Katherina’s marriage. Bianca’s suitors decide to attempt together for arranging Katherina’s marriage. Another character Lucentio comes to Padua to attend university.

He also falls in love with Bianca and has overheard Baptista who is looking for tutors for his daughters. He disguises himself as a Latin tutor Cambio and asks his servant Tranio to pretend to be Lucentio. Hortensio’s friend Petruchio comes from Verona along with his servant Grumio. He wishes to marry and Hortensio decides to present him as suitor for Katherina. Hortension himself, disguised as a music tutor Litio, attempts to woo Bianca like Lucentio. Petruchio makes sure that he does not get offended by whatever Katherine says or does. He pretends as if her harsh behavior is actually gentle. They get married in a ceremony that becomes farcical and he takes her to his home despite that she opposed it. Tranio, in disguise of Lucentio, outbids Gremio for Bianca’s hand but has promised much more than what Lucentio actually possess. He decides to get someone to pretend to be Lucentio’s father, Vincentio, who could confirm the dowry and finalize the marriage. He also persuades Hortensio to drop his claim for Bianca.

In Verona, Petruchio disagrees with everything said and done by Katherina consistently till she starts agreeing to whatever he say, however absurd it may be. This is how he ‘tames the shrew’. While going to Padua to attend Bianca’s marriage, they meet Vincentio. Katherina even agrees when Petruchio says that Vincentio is a woman. In Padua, as per the plan, Lucentio and Tranio insist a pedant to pause as Vincentio to confirm the dowry. Baptista gets ready to marry off Bianca to Lucentio. However, whom he considers Lucentio is actually Tranio disguised as Lucentio. Bianca, being aware of the entire matter, elopes with the real Lucentio. Huge confusion arises when the real Vincentio confronts the Pedant who claims to be Vincentio. The pedant claims Tranio to be Lucentio, and his son. Lucentio appears along with Binaca, whom he has married, and they are forgiven by their fathers. Hortensio has married a widow. The three newlywed gentlemen argue their respective wives to be most obedient.

Petruchio proposes that each one should send a servant to call his wife. The one who comes most obediently would win the wager for her husband. Katherina does so and, then, gives a speech to the other two wives about the reasons for a wife to be obedient to her husband. The play ends with an acknowledgement by Baptista, Hortensio and Lucentio of Petruchio’s success in ‘taming the shrew’. It is a play that relies quite much on confusion for creating comic effects as well as for keeping the reader engrossed. The characterization is quite simple. The characters do not show too broad a range of characteristic features. Multiple Choice Questions on The Taming of the Shrew 1. Who plays the prank on Sly in the induction of ‘The Taming of the Shrew’? Bartholomew 5. Baptista Minola in ‘The Taming of the Shrew’ is a lord in: Venice Padua Denmark 6. Which of these is Bianca’s suitor but does not pretend to be a tutor in ‘The Taming of the Shrew’? Lucentio Gremio Tranio 7.

Which of these names was not adopted in ‘The Taming of the Shrew’ by any character while having disguised himself? Cambio Lucentio Gremio 8. There are some characters in the play in whose case the character himself happens to interact with a person pretending to be him in ‘The Taming of the Shrew’. Which of these characters is not an example? Hortensio Vincentio Each one is an example 9. In ‘The Taming of the Shrew’, the person whom Lucentio and Tranio convince to pretend to be Vincentio was a: Pedant Cook Drunkard 10. After Lucentio’s elopement with Bianca, when Vincentio confronted the pedant whom Lucentio and Tranio had made to pretend to be Vincentio, the situation got complicated and one of the characters was set to get arrested. Who was he?

Lucentio The Taming of the Shrew - Frank Theatre Frank Theatre The Taming of the Shrew From 10/25/2002 to 11/24/2002 Old Arizona Studio, Minneapolis Synopsis One of Shakespeare?s early works and bawdiest comedies, the play tackles a subject which remains a lightning rod for modern audiences: gender roles. Artistic Team Lighting Design by Mike Kittel Set Design by Steve Rohde Costume Design by Katherine B. Kohl Original Music Written & Performed by?Michael Croswell & Mike “Razz” Russell Stage Managed by Spencer Putney Assistant Stage Managed by Virginia Anderson Assistant to the Director: Lindsay Hockaday Cast A Pedant of Mantua/Haberdasher/Servant: Leon Hammer Bianca: Signe Harriday Tailor/Widow/Servant: John Heimbuch The reviews are in. “In a gorgeously costumed and playfully surreal production at the Old Arizona, Frank Theatre director Wendy Knox challenges audiences’ expectations by directing Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew closer to tragedy than to comedy. But it was comedy that Shakespeare intended for Shrew and comedy that I anticipated.

The dislocation between the playwright’s intention, the director’s interpretation and my expectations created tensions for me on opening night that were hard for me to resolve. I felt desolated and cheated by Katherina’s automaton-like closing speech about wives obeying their husbands; there wasn’t a flick of flirtation in it, not a glimmer of realized womanhood. Not until I drove home did I begin to understand Knox’s take on Shrew, and then it resonated with me as a woman. For Shrew to work as comedy, the spitting, railing and fiery Katherina needs to fall in love with her sudden husband, Petruchio; she needs to grow into womanly obedience by being tamed as much by her own desire for him as by his “training” of her. Knox gives us a spitfire in Virginia Burke’s Katharina. She’s tough, pretty and physically and verbally pugnacious. This rag-tag Kate drags on a cigarette and flings Tampax at adversaries. But once her rich father Baptista, played by Tom Sherohman, trades her away in marriage like so much chattel, she becomes passive.

Lee Adams as her husband Petruchio breaks her will by isolating her on his country estate, abusing his servants in front of her and playfully but determinedly depriving her of food, sleep and fine clothes, until she sways to his every caprice. There’s no sense of a relationship between this Kate and Petruchio. For him, she’s a possession to be tamed, like a fine but feisty falcon. For her, it’s about shutting down emotionally in order to survive the hostile environment created by her husband. At play’s end, she’s an abused woman with a broken spirit. Viewed through the 21st century lens of our relative enlightenment, the deliberate use of fear, hunger and sleep-deprivation to change behavior amounts to abuse. No two ways about it. And it is present in Shrew. But it’s still a hard reading to pull off, because Shakespeare embeds the play with the merry confusions of amorous old men, suitors disguised as tutors, and servants impersonating masters, all the Elizabethan devices of light-hearted comedy that set up expectations of a happy resolution.

Shakespeare also wrote his text to support a manly and likeable Petruchio, and Adams’ Petruchio is attractive in a mildly oafish way. Paul de Cordova as Tranio and the impish Emily Zimmer as Biondello light up the stage with their presence and, in one of many pleasing directorial touches, Knox has Michael Croswell and Mike Russell play period music onstage. Kathy Kohl’s zany costumes range from modern janitors’ suits to the glories of Elizabethan dress and stun the eye. With its large cast, Shrew is an ambitious play for Frank Theatre, and Knox’s brave reading touches me as a woman, but it couches awkwardly within the bed of Shakespeare’s comedy.” Talkingbroadway.com ?The Taming of the Shrew? is not generally considered one of Shakespeare?s finest plays. Over the years, its humor between the sexes has been dampened by audiences who have tired of its blatant aggression toward women. Its current production at the Frank Theatre, however, breathes fresh ideas and controversy into this stale comedy. Director Wendy Knox keeps this ?Shrew? completely faithful to Shakespeare?s text. In fact, an opening sequence ? often eliminated from performances ?

is wisely included in this production. In these two opening scenes, a wandering lord discovers a drunken Christopher Sly (played by Lee Adams) and devises a plan to convince this peasant, upon waking, that he is also a lord. The drunk believes the story, and the lord and his servants perform a play for the ecstatic, intoxicated fool. This play within a play tells of Katherina (Virginia Burke) and Bianca (Signe V. Harriday), two sisters old enough to wed. The older Katherina is the ?shrew? of the play?s title ? society views her opinions, arguments and independence as flawed. Bianca, by contrast, is a model, passive woman who entertains many suitors. However, their father has stated that Katherina must marry before Bianca may choose a husband, and this leaves Bianca?s suitors hopeless and frustrated. Circumstances change when an avaricious Petruchio, also played by Adams, comes to town searching for a wife. He is quickly convinced that he can wed Katherina for her money and tame her to his liking. The humor of this situation is well-executed: Notable performances include Tom Sherohman as Baptista, the girls?

father, who executes his lines with thunderous exaggeration. With his head tilted back and an explosive voice, Sherohman?s eccentric delivery reminds the audience that this is a play performed for the pleasure of the observing Sly. Knox?s use of Lee Adams is particularly noteworthy. Playing both the arrogant Petruchio and the drunken Sly, his double identity forces the viewer to confront one of Shrew?s core messages: manipulation. As Petruchio, Adams molds Katherina into his ideal image. As Sly, he is manipulated for another?s entertainment. There is a sadistic undertone here that weaves its way in and out of Shrew?s comedy, as characters frequently force their desires and wills on others. As Katherina, Burke embodies the scars of a strong woman beaten down over time. She is introduced to the play smoking a cigarette, chugging a Budweiser and crushing the can. But after Petruchio marries her, Katherina?s individuality grows weaker and weaker. Her internal pain is not presented comically, but destructively, through an increasingly ragged face, torn clothes and ruffled hair. The play?s final scene is the most modernized of the production.

In a standard performance, Katherina, tamed into submission by Petruchio, admonishes her sister to also submit to her husband. But in this production, Katherina acts not out of her own free will, but in screaming fear of her abusive husband. She does not believe what she is saying and does what Petruchio says for her own safety. In a truly haunting final gesture, Burke climbs atop the wedding table, stares into space and finishes her lines in quiet resignation. It is this final scene, and the ubiquitous Christopher Sly, that shed new light on ?The Taming of the Shrew.? The viewer is not allowed to passively dismiss the story as comedy, but is required to re-examine the play?s humor and commentary in its final moments. And through exploring ?Shrew?s? darker side, Frank Theatre has given ?Shrew? a modern twist worthy of a second look. Steven Snyder, Minnesota Daily “The best theater this month was Wendy Knox’s Frank Theatre production of THE TAMING OF THE SHREW which played at Old Arizona studios. Frank not only does the best local Shakespeare, but their work comes close to the best we’ve seen anywhere.

Virginia Burke’s sluttish Katherina the Shrew, and Lee Adams’ hunky Petruchio, her would-be tamer, along with a splendid supporting cast of servants, relations, and assorted folks, filled the Old Arizona stage with ribald pranks and dazzling repartee. Steve Rohde’s set fitted the space perfectly, and Michael Croswell and “Razz” Russell accompanied the action with terrific live music. We’re looking forward to Frank’s winter production, THE LOVE SONG OF J. ROBERT OPPENHEIMER coming in February.” Martha and Marty Roth, Southside Pride In her staging of Shakespeare’s “The Taming of the Shrew,” Wendy Knox wants to have it both ways. On the one hand, historian Knox realizes that this play is listed under “Comedies” in collections of the Bard’s plays. On the other hand, feminist Knox sees the central action of the play as being that of a man breaking a woman as he would a wild horse. What to do, then? It would be inaccurate to say that Knox steers a middle course between those two routes.

No, she’s done something far more complex with the play, an approach that is certainly opinionated and thought-provoking without feeling pedantic. Knox has made a few over-arching decisions, the most important of which is that this is not in any way a love story ? at least not in the relationship between the central characters. Petruchio has come to wife it wealthily in Padua, and in Kate, the daughter of the rich Baptista, he finds the ideal woman for his purposes. She’s a bit too strong-willed, but Petruchio, employing techniques like starvation and mind games, figures he can deal with that. Lee Adams, a brawny, easy-grinning guy, plays Petruchio with a trailer-trash charm and the depth of an ice-cube tray, which is exactly what Knox wants him to do. Because Petruchio has no self-awareness and is governed by his tunnel-visioned, self-amusing quest, there’s little in the way of malice in his mistreatment of Kate. Kate ? realized in this production as a Bud-swilling, Tampax-chucking, cigarette-smoking bad girl ?

is played with a wicked gleam and plenty of smarts by Virginia Burke. It doesn’t take Burke’s Kate long to figure out what Petruchio’s up to, and she decides rather quickly that, trapped as she is by the conventions of society, she’s going to have to go along to get along. The strain takes its toll, however, and so, after a few scenes of rolling her eyes in mock-acquiescence to her husband, hairline cracks begin to show up in Kate’s psyche. By the end, when Kate delivers her only long speech about wives being submissive to their husbands, it’s part rant and part nervous breakdown. Burke carries this moment magnificently, breathing through the monologue in staccato rasps and showing flashes of pain and panic along the way. Lee, too, allows Petruchio a glimmer of realization, and a moment of wondering about the consequences of his own actions. You get the idea that the most interesting part of this play is what happens to Kate and Petruchio in the weeks and months that follow the play’s conclusion. Knox mostly leaves the comedy to the players who populate the secondary story line about Kate’s younger sister, Bianca, and her would-be suitors.

She also leaves in Shakespeare’s frequently cut prologue in which “The Taming of the Shrew” is framed as a play within a play, and adds a little pre-show business of her own. Those devices stretch the evening past the three-hour point, and the extra time isn’t worth it for the relatively meager laughs that result. Knox seems to want to leaven her production, but she needn’t have bothered: There’s plenty of yeast in her staging the way it is. Dominic Papatola, St. Paul Pioneer Press And through borough distributions Help keep Shakespeare in the Park free for all and reserve your seat ! This summer, Tony nominated director Phyllida Lloyd turns Shakespeare’s zany comedy of the sexes The Taming the Shrew on its head, with an all-female cast and a bold new take. Lovely Bianca is the prize to be won by all the men looking to land themselves a wealthy wife. But the competitors will first have to marry off Bianca’s clever, fiery older sister, Katherina, played by Olivier Nominee Cush Jumbo (Josephine and I, The River), who may just outsmart them all.

Tony and Olivier winner Janet McTeer (A Doll’s House, Mary Stuart) plays Petruchio, the wild outsider Katherina must outwit, in Shakespeare’s original screwball comedy showing the lengths men will go to for their legacy, what women will do to break free and the outrageous things we all do for the human heart. Top (from left): Candy Buckley, Donna Lynne Champlin, Rosa Gilmore, Judy Gold, LaTanya Richardson Jackson Middle (from left): Cush Jumbo, Teresa Avia Lim, Janet McTeer, Adrienne C. Moore, Anne L.

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 7:30-9:30pm in Bldg 2, Storybook Theatre at KVPAC Performances scheduled in the Magyar Main Theatre at KVPAC on the Kennedy Grand Stage Performance dates are April 10, 11 and 12, 2015 All shows begin at 8:00pm, except for Sunday which is a matinee beginning at 2:00pm Show Synopsis: The courtship between the headstrong shrewish, Kate, and the not-so-gentlemanly fortune hunter, Petruchio, ignites the stage with masquerade, misdirection, and a look at the roles we must play.

The Taming of the Shrew is Shakespeare’s most outrageously funny and controversial comedy. 18 roles: 3 women, 14 men, additional roles assigned Katherina (Kate) Minola – the "shrew" of the title Bianca – younger sister of Katherine Baptista Minola – father of Katherina and Bianca Petruchio – suitor of Katherina Gremio – elderly suitor of Bianca Lucentio – suitor of Bianca (spends some of play disguised as Cambio, a Latin tutor) Hortensio – suitor of Bianca and friend to Petruchio (spends some of the play disguised as Litio, a music tutor) Grumio – servant of Petruchio Tranio – servant of Lucentio (spends some of the play disguised as Lucentio) Biondello – servant of Lucentio A Widow – wooed by Hortensio A Pedant – pretends to be Vincentio A Haberdasher Please prepare a 1-2 minute comedic monologue (Shakespeare is preferred) Auditions to be held Tuesday, February 17 from 7:30-9:30pm.

Call backs will be held Feb 19th only if needed. Please email KVPAC ( info@kvpac.org ) to set up an appointment time or call 281.829.2787. Audition location is KVPAC, Building 2, in the Grand Vision Storybook Theatre at 2501 S Mason Rd # 290, Katy, TX 77450. Bring headshot/ resume if you have one. Participants must be age 17 or older unless otherwise stated on cast list. Read-thru is Feb 22 at 7:30 PM Rehearsal schedule is Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday evenings Performances are in Magyar Main Theatre at KVPAC February 10, 2015 at 8:00pm (evening) February 11, 2015 at 8:00pm (evening) February 12, 2015 at 2:00pm (matinee)

Question: Bianca is the younger sister of Katherina in which Shakespeare comedy play?
Answer: The Taming of the Shrew