The Taming of the Shrew
First comes love, then comes marriage…but in the Bard’s domestic, role-wrangling farce the reverse of this makes for a perfect match, marking the reunion of Circus Theatricals at the Odyssey Theatre.
Circus Theatricals Artistic Director, Jack Stehlin, performs double duty as he leads this collaborative revival and stars as Petruchio, the devilish but charming suitor for Kate’s less than willing hand. Although the storyline of wooing a fiercely independent and wealthy young woman by literally taming her into subservience is somewhat antiquated by current equitable sensibilities, the talented cast gaily pivots from the darker implications and chauvinistic underpinnings, keeping the mood light, bawdy and fun.
Unlike A Noise Within’s recent production that makes a bold statement with its set design and dance numbers, Stehlin and the troupe return to the basics by focusing on the essentials: physical comedy and sight gags, well-developed characters that are otherwise sketchy at best, and an unfussy emphasis on clarity and tone. Its consistency does not lend any new insights or dramatic turnabouts, but as Petruchio asks his guests at a dinner party, “Is not this well?” And it is. With a minimal set by Victoria Profitt that hints at the nature of all things in its celestial backdrop and Nikki Delhomme’s well-placed floral accessories, the subtly suggests even relationships have their season to turn, to grow and mature into something natural and significant. It is then a marriage of strengths -- on either side, wit and will pitted and then joined that marks the happy, apropos vehicle for these two theatre companies.
By removing the induction of tinker Christopher Sly, the play steers away from the oft-confusing start and hurls headlong into the main action of courtship in its two main forms: infatuation and infuriation. The Shakespearean comedic staples of bungled identity and polarized personalities is immediately tacked on by sisters headstrong Katharina, commanded by Bridget Flanery and sweetly demure Bianca, delicately portrayed by Katy Downing. As the eldest daughter, “Kate the Cursed” is first to wed, but the growing number of browbeaten, battered would-be beaus proves otherwise.
Lucentio, sensitively played by Charles Pasternak comes to the town of Padua, set in Italy at the turn of the 20th century, and falls in love with Bianca at first sight. Trading places with his servant, Tranio, performed by the familiar face, Geoffrey Owens of The Cosby Show and instructor at Uta Hagen’s HB Studios in NYC – neither making mention in his bio – but revealing his longstanding experience through his reflexive comedic timing and masterfully assured presence onstage that is delightful.
Enter Petruchio, a sly cavort with more cunning patience than a lion on the prowl, hearing of Kate’s vast wealth and reputed nastiness, he convinces her father Baptista, a tailor-made role for Jordan Lund, that he alone can woo, wed and in effect tame the wild Katharina into a model wife. The chemistry between Stehlin and Flanery set off sparks and pronounced sexual innuendos, particularly when Petruchio has Kate in his firm grasp. As she wriggles and writhes like injured prey in the face of Stehlin’s saucier portrayal that makes the audience actually cheer for him, forgetting or at least forgiving, his cruel nonchalance for her less than amorous misgivings. Winning her hand by a sleight of verbal hand, Petruchio weds the unattainable, and begins training his newly won bride.
The schooling of women into dutiful wives comes about on two fronts, as youthful Lucentio pretends to school Bianca in his role as schoolmaster, introducing her to Latin and poetry. When the revelation comes to his real identity, it seems his pliable love in Bianca is less so than he imagines after Petruchio proves in the end that his dominion over Kate is unmatched. Using tactics fit for a prisoner of war such as lack of food, clean clothing, and lack of sleep along with psychological mind-games, Kate is effectively broken, like a victim of the Stockholm syndrome. So totally convinced of her newfound freedom, she delivers in a monologue -- difficult to hear by modern ears, but Flanery touches on so exquisitely—shame to the other women less submissive in their roles.
What keeps the second act from losing its easy-breezy, light-hearted quality during the ‘taming’ scenes is Stehlin’s perpetual engagement with the audience that, like his character with Kate, wins us over with a coy wink and a smile. Stehlin ably flirts with Petruchio’s mean streak, revealing along the way the silver lining within the dark cloud of malevolence. Mockingly innocent to his schemes, Stehlin is instantly likeable, believable, and sensual, the consummate bad boy, oozing narcissism and confidence in the face of Kate’s contemptuous scowl, and thereby winning her over.
The ensemble performs beautifully; each fully grounded in their roles, but hats off to the nimble Thomas Kopache as Petruchio’s impish servant, Grumio, a marvel in movement and splendid clownish turns. Kopache steals hearts, laughs and the show in every one of his scenes and is pure joy personified with his infectious energy and his boundless enthusiasm.
Given the two widely divergent interpretations of “the Shrew” playing in Los Angeles, this production plays up the sweet, simple and unadorned battle-of-the-sexes like a carnival funhouse complete with some of the uglier distortions reflected but enjoyed because at the end it is well.
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Theater: Odyssey Theatre, 2055 S. Sepulveda Blvd. West Los Angeles, 90025
Web Site: http://www.odysseytheatre.com/
Tickets: 310-477-2055 ext 2
Dates: through April 26, 2009