The Taming of the Shrew
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Fulton, Weingartner
Craig Schwartz
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By Melinda Schupmann
Dean Martin's rendition of That's Amore is the first hint that this version of Shakespeare's comedy is not going to be business as usual. Then the actors appear in garb that is more Guys and Dolls than Elizabethan, and it's time to hunker down and watch A Noise Within's updated version of the story.
The scene is set as Gremio (Tom Fitzpatrick) and Hortensio (Stephen Rockwell) arrive to offer gifts to the fair Bianca (Jane Noseworthy), hoping that she will look favorably upon their courtship. Their hopes are dashed when Bianca's father, Baptista (Apollo Dukakis), tells them, in no uncertain terms, that they may not pursue Bianca until her sister, the shrewish Kate (Allegra Fulton) of the title, is married. Since that seems impossible, they are despondent. However, looking on from a distance is Lucentio (Antonie Knoppers) and his servant, Tranio (Jeremy Rabb), and it's love at first sight for Lucentio. When he learns that Baptista will only have schoolmasters or musicians in his house to tutor Bianca, Lucentio changes identities with his servant and poses as a teacher to gain access to Bianca.
In the meantime, Petruchio (Steve Weingartner) arrives with his manservants, Grumio (Alan Blumenfeld) and Curtis (Andy Steadman), to find a rich wife to marry. When told of Kate's wealth, he decides that no matter her temperament, he will woo and win her.
Costumes by Soojin Lee play a major role in this production, particularly for the principals Kate and Petruchio. He enters in a 50s suit, a balding tough guy, quickly demonstrating his braggadocio by manhandling his much larger servant (the durable and delightful Blumenfeld.) Kate is more Kate Hepburn than Elizabethan Kate, and her strident manner is bolstered by her trouser-clad persona. A blonde Noseworthy makes a feminine foil in her colorful dresses.
Director Geoff Elliott uses the Italian setting (designed by Kurt Boetcher) to create a perfect backdrop. A large glowing moon appears over strings of lights suitable for an outdoor pizza parlor, and Ken Booth's lighting sets the mood for romance and the mischief essential to the wooing of Kate.
Adding a touch of whimsy, Elliot chooses to dress Weingartner in Elizabethan garb for the wedding scenes--a banty rooster of a fellow. Kate's wedding gown is classic, and Lee's studied destruction of it after the wedding trip is priceless.
Rabb is a wonderfully funny character actor, and he makes the most of his Tranio/Lucentio. Dukakis is ever dependable, making every part he takes believable and impressive. Knoppers and Noseworthy make the most of their budding young love, and Weingartner and Fulton create a provocative chemistry that gives a new twist to the tale.
A Noise Within's commitment to classic theater never stops them from mixing modern with traditional, and it is always a pleasure to see what new approach they might take or to settle back for some fine acting when the piece demands attention to the playwright's intentions. This outing provides the maximum amount of fun with slightly non-traditional casting, and it gives the audience a fresh take on one of the bard's popular works.
Presented at A Noise Within, 234 Brand Blvd., Glendale. (818) 240-0910 x1 or www.ANoiseWithin.org. In repertory with Ibsen's Ghosts and Anouilh's The Rehearsal. Closes May 17.
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