Shakespeare company aims for laughs with ‘Shrew’
The comedic elements of “The Taming of the Shrew” get top priority for this summer’s Wichita Shakespeare Company park tour.
“We’re going really hard on the comedy part of it,” said Chris Welborn, co-director with Angela Forrest. “We’re making it funny overall. It is a comedy, we’re making it really funny.”
“Shrew” opens this weekend for two performances at Central Riverside Park, continuing the next three weekends until a traditional indoor performance at Friends University Church.
Ashley McCracken-Christy plays Kate, known for her scolding tongue and courted by Petruchio, played by Nathan Betzen.
Both directors praised the work of the 12-member cast.
“Everybody’s making a caricature. It’s not too melodrama, over the top,” Welborn said. “But it is so funny throughout.”
Forrest said they were delighted with the growth they had seen in the cast.
“The pickings were pretty slim for auditions, which it typically is for Shakespeare in the Park,” she said. “Sometimes it’s a hard sell, people have a lot of obligations. But the great thing about this cast is that we have some folks who’ve been doing it for a while and some folks who haven’t done any (theater) since high school. They’re all sharing our park stage and really finding the joy in what we’re doing. We’ve discovered these funny bits and folks who can do voices
Why do we love watching the world collapse? Especially in the movies?
Well, we get more this weekend with the opening of “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga,” the fifth installment in the “Mad Max” franchise (it’s technically a pre-quel spin-off, but you do the math).
The film follows creator George Miller’s epic (and phenomenal) 2015 “Mad Max: Fury Road,” which picked up years after Miller’s original “Mad Max” trilogy (that ran from 1979-1985), which starred a young Mel Gibson as a vigilante seeking revenge for the death of his wife and child in a future post-apocalyptic world, while still trying to find an inkling of humanity.
In “Fury Road,” a woman named Furiosa (Charlize Theron) rebels against a tyrannical ruler in search for her homeland with the aid of a group of female prisoners, a psychotic worshipper and, of course, Max (now played by Tom Hardy). The film was a triumphant return to the “Mad Max” universe for Miller, earning critical raves, massive box office and a best picture Oscar nomination, with six Oscar wins. It was hailed by many as one of the best action movies ever made.
So now, Miller returns with “Furiosa,” the origin story of the renegade character before her encounter and team-up with Mad Max. Not much is known about the movie’s story, except we should expect lots of dune-buggy-type-thing chases in the sand. The film had its premiere last week out-ofcompetition at the Cannes Film Festival in France, and reportedly received a seven-minute standing ovation. The French love deserts, apparently. Or is that desserts?
In anticipation of the release of “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga,” here are five of my favorite post-apocalyptic movies ever:
“Logan’s Run” (1976) In the 23rd century, Michael York plays a police officer called a Sandman who uncovers the deadly secret behind a Utopian society that worships youth and lives in a bubble-enclosed city. When he is given an assignment to go beyond the city’s protective barriers to hunt rogue community members, he discovers a long-abandoned Earth that may hold promise for them all. Sanctuary!
“Children of Men” (2006) Not-yet at-that-time Oscar winner Alfonso Cuaron (who would go on to win best director for “Gravity) directs and co-writes this tale set in 2027, where women have somehow become infertile, and a former activist (Clive Owen) agrees to help transport a miraculously pregnant woman to a sanctuary at sea. The film is visually stunning, and director of photography Emmanuel Lubezki was nominated for an Oscar for best cinematography, which included dazzling and intricately choreographed long-take sequences (he has since won three Oscars for his work on other films).
“A Quiet Place” (2018) Director/co-writer John Krasinksi’s beautifully heartbreaking tale is set in a future where aliens have overtaken Earth — and they only hunt by sound. But it’s his real-life wife Emily Blunt’s gripping performance that is the grounding presence of all of it.
“WALL-E” (2008) Disney’s Oscar-winning animated classic
and a little bit of physical comedy. It’s really been a joy to see it develop.”
The costumes and the time frame, Welborn said, are open to interpretation.
“We have people in dress shirts and khakis and women in dresses, but there’s old-style hats. And a cowboy hat. And a weird Viking hat,” he said. “It’s kind of set in no time, it’s ambiguous on the time frame. There’s no cellphones, but there are some modern things. You can tell it’s Shakespeare.”
WSC is using a 2011 edit of “Shrew” done by Vonda Schuster, who directed the version 13 years ago.
“We actually added a line or two,” Welborn said. “We try to get done in two hours and this already worked for us.”
Performances are at 7 each night. If a show is cancelled, it will be posted on Wichita Shakespeare Company’s social media, or on its hotline, 316-6552017. Performances are free, with donations accepted.
Today and Saturday: Central Riverside Park May 31: College Hill Park
June 1: Hap McLean Park, Park City
June 2: High Park Amphitheatre, Derby June 7: Buffalo Park June 8: College Hill Park June 9: Friends University Church