Shrewd take on a classic is anything but tame
The locale that Repercussion Theatre claimed for its opening performance of The Taming of the Shrew on Thursday night was ideal. Strolling among the gravestones of Mount Royal Cemetery is an excellent preamble to viewing a classic.
With park Shakespeare, the setting provides the ambience and the players provide the diversion, which may or may not have much to do with the play.
The Taming of the Shrew is about the marriage game, Italian style, in Padua. A wealthy man named Baptista has two daughters, one sweet, the other sour. Men are drawn to the sweet one, Bianca, like bees to honey. But her suitors must be held at bay until the shrewish elder sister, Kate, is married. After much conniving, the greedy and domineering Petruchio steps up to woo the shrew, much as he would tame a horse.
This Taming of the Shrew is co-directed by Andrew Shaver, artistic director of Sidemart Theatre Grocery, and Paul Hopkins, artistic director of Repercussion Theatre.
Apparently, having cast Kirsten Rasmussen, a comedian best known for her Fringe festival hits (Blink Blink Blink and Tough!), as Kate, they decided to go for extreme physical comedy and obligatory gestural illustration to underline the obvious, throwing in some lusty Italian songs for good measure.
Susana Vera’s clownish costumes with their brash colours (Petruchio in a turquoise suit, Lucentio in a fuchsia jacket) and frilly collars accentuate the cartoon-shakespeare approach.
As comedians, many of the actors fare well, especially Rasmussen who has that illusive likability factor necessary to the laugh trade. She frowns a lot, does slick double takes, and saves up her best shot for her “obedient wife” speech at the end.
Alex Mccooeye’s Petruchio comes across as a shade too nasty and lewd, which throws off the balance. The fault here is directorial. When you’re playing to families picnicking in the park, having Petruchio dryhump his future father-in-law is unnecessary, as well as unfunny. And the first (entwined) encounter between Kate and Petruchio crosses the line from bawdy into creepy.
It’s not a good sign for this play when the relationship between Bianco (Miriam Cummings) and Lucentio (Adrian Shepherd-Gawinski) becomes more interesting than that of Petruchio and Kate. These two connect.
Also outstanding are Stephen Joffe, as Hortensio, and Jeff Ho, as Tranio. Mitchell Cohen doubles well, as Vincentio, and Gremio. As Baptista, David Chiazzese leads the Italian songs with brio. Matt Gagnon adds impish irony, here and there, and Sehar Bhojani ably switches from Biondella to the Widow.
Amy Keith’s set, with its trap door table centre stage and lad- derlike frame behind, relies on nature for its backdrop.
The second half of this zany Taming of the Shrew makes up for the off-key notes of its first half. The use of Windex spray during the starvation scene is hilarious.
When the company’s generator started smoking on opening night, Kate urged Petruchio to finish the scene before the battery ran out.
It’s that kind of Shakespeare: spontaneous, silly, and free of admission charges – except for donations solicited at intermission.
The Taming of the Shrew, by William Shakespeare, directed by Andrew Shaver and Paul Hopkins, continues at Montreal parks until Aug. 5. Saturday night it’s at Centennial Park, Beaconsfield; on Sunday at N.D.G. Park; Tuesday, Howard Park, Park Extension; Wednesday to July 21 in Westmount Park. Performances begin at 7 p.m. For more information, call 514-931-2644; visit www.repercussiontheatre.com.