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Taming of the "Punk" Shrew
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Mary DeBerry
July 17th 2009 |
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 RISE on Broadway began a New Director’s Program last year, handing the reins of a production over to a new, aspiring theater director. While the student is allowed a wide berth of creative freedom, the senior staff of RISE advises them throughout the process. Laura Westfall, Producer and Technical Director of Taming of the Shrew said the advice includes the business aspect of the production, as well as the creative aspect. Kudos to RISE for creating this showcase to help develop talented young people.
Twenty-five-year-old Christopher Ferreira is the newest young director who submitted a winning proposal to the RISE program. Ferreira’s updated version of Shakespeare’s Taming of the Shrew, is currently running at the Columbus Theater on Broadway in Providence, RI. It is Shakespeare’s familiar story of the foul-tempered older sister Katherine who must be married off before her sweet younger sister Bianca. Ferreira has re-set the story in New York City in the year 1983. The set, costumes and music evoke memories of the Punk Rock Era. The set is impressive and makes the Cinematique look quite large.
Ferreira has a clear vision of his production. He created the set design, costume design, use of period music and editing of the original Shakespearean text. That editing includes not only New England landmarks and references, but also newer items indicative of wealth such as jet skis. It all works together for a colorful and lively production.
Ferreira overcame the issue of more females than males showing up for auditions by some well-chosen casting. Audrey Crawley does a fine job of playing a strong matriarch, Baptista Minola. The original play calls for a patriarch. In addition, Ferreira made one of the suitors for the young Bianca a female. This part is well played by Sarah Stern and the audience makes no particular notice that both men and women pursue Bianca.
The cast is well rehearsed. In one scene Bianca (Audrey Thompson) is supposed to be untied from a chair. When the latch could not be undone, Thompson cleverly ad-libbed, “and I’ll take the chair with me!” and stood up walking off-stage still bound to the chair. The play continued on.
Three weeks before the premiere, the actor playing Petruchio had to drop out. Director Ferreira took this development in stride as well. Already familiar with the material, Ferreira took on the lead role.
Ferreira is a good actor and easily portrays Petruchio, the man who marries and “tames” the angry Katherine (Chandler Cross). However, the extra duty of playing a main character as well as directing did take a bit of a toll on the production. Ferreira dominates the stage as Petruchio, but sometimes upstages his fellow actors in the process. In addition, often all of the actors on stage stand in a row, not making use of levels or depth of the stage to differentiate the focus and vary the physical presentation to the audience.
Chandler Cross, as Katherine, gets a chance to display her lovely singing voice while “jailed” within Petruchio’s apartment. And although she is very slender, somehow she survives the “man-handling” from Petruchio as he wrestles her to the floor several times.
Mention must be made of Ariel Gitlin who doubles as two servants – Biondello and Grumio. Gitlin makes a bright and humorous entrance early in the production and continues to liven up the stage with her comic asides and gestures.
Rounding out the cast is Conor Wright as Tranio, Samantha Egge as Crystal, Michael Ferron as Hortensio, Richard Tavares as Lucentio, Steve Ferron as Nathaniel, Alex Remington as Vincentio and Michael Maio as Pedant.
“Taming of the Shrew” plays only this week at 7:30pm on July 16, 17, 18 and July 19 at 2pm. |
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