An all-female Shakespeare production is coming to Shakespeare in the Park, and what’s a better choice for such an event than the Bard’s battle-of-the-sexes comedy “The Taming of the Shrew”?
According to Vanity Fair, this summer the Public Theater will present the all-female production of the play for its annual free Shakespeare in the Park series, which takes place in New York City’s Central Park. This year commemorates the 400 years since Shakespeare’s death. “But with no men in the cast,” Vanity Fair asks, “how will the sparks be seen to fly?”
Director Phyllida Lloyd, who’s famous for her all-female versions of Shakespeare, such as her “Henry IV” and “Julius Caesar,” has previously worked with the actresses Cush Jumbo, who will play Katherina, and Janet McTeer, who will play Petruchio, on similar projects. We have no doubt the sparks will fly regardless of the absence of men.
“To be invited to the Park — the greatest free Shakespeare festival in the world — is a great honor, and I don’t take it lightly,” said Lloyd. “Our heroes and heroines stand before us! Our secret weapon? Some of the finest and funniest female clowns on the scene. We will be turning the play upside down.”
If you’ve seen the ’90s teen comedy “10 Thing I Hate About You,” you already know the story of “The Taming of the Shrew.” As the Public describes it, “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, who may just outsmart them all.”
As we know, during Shakespeare’s time and for decades after, women were not permitted to act on stage. Men played every single role in his cannon. So it’s only fair that all-female productions of his works get their share of the attention in this day and age.
