New view of ‘the shrew’

In recent years, Shakespeare has been something Honolulu looks forward to seeing each summer with Tony Pisculli’s Hawaii Shakespeare Festival. This year, Shakespeare season is starting early thanks to Kimberly Shire’s production of "The Taming of the Shrew" in the University of Hawaii at Manoa Earle Ernst Lab Theatre. A cast of nine plays 16 characters in a new staging of the classic comedy that Shire says is aimed at high school students but not dumbed down for them.

"It is targeted (for high school students) in the sense that it is shortened so that school groups can attend, and the design is nontraditional, but I have retained Shakespeare’s language," said Shire, in an email. "I do not allow my actors to add modern English into the production. I’m a purist in that way."

Kyle Scholl stars as Katharina aka Kate the shrew with Timothy Callais as Petruchio, the man who "tames" her. Hawaii knows Callais for his 2014 Po‘okela Award-winning portrayal of two characters in Kennedy Theatre’s production of "The Very Persistent Gappers of Frip." Scholl was one of the stars of the Lab Theatre production of "The Wild Party" in 2013.

"Shrew" is one of Shakespeare’s plays that reflects the social norms 400 years ago: Kate, the oldest sister, must marry before her younger sister, Bianca, will be allowed to marry, but Kate has such a sharp tongue and assertive ways that she has no suitors — nor does she want any.

Enter Petruchio, who is somehow able to marry Kate anyway. He then "tames" her through the use of reverse psychology and various mind games — some of which would probably be considered domestic abuse today.

Eventually — spoiler alert! — Kate is a more compliant and obedient wife than her sweet sister, Bianca.

There is also a comic subplot about the competition between the men who want to marry Bianca.

Most people who direct Shakespeare these days cut the script for one reason or another. Some trim for length, others to accommodate the number of actors available.

Shire made cuts for both reasons, but also to make the story of Kate and Petruchio seem a little more relevant to modern life and not just a quaint comedy from long ago.

"It is a bit of a challenge to stage (‘Shrew’) for today’s audiences," Shire explained. "I had to cut for length anyway, so I used that opportunity to help give Petruchio more of a character arc than is in the original text. He is most offensive and chauvinistic in the beginning of this play, and gradually becomes less so."

As the story goes, Kate and Petruchio fall in love, and Kate recognizes that her shrewish ways are causing her more harm than good.

"The result is that every man in the room who has always despised and feared her is suddenly wishing he had married her," Shire said.

The ending of the story has become increasingly controversial over the past century as views of women’s place in society changed.

"I’m hoping that it will start conversations about women’s role in society," Shire said.

Shire said she hopes that her "Shrew" will suggest that Kate’s final speech, lecturing other women on their duty to unquestionably obey their husbands, is taken as Kate and Petruchio playing a trick on her family and their friends rather than as a woman slavishly embracing subordinate status.

"Shakespeare is for everyone," Shire said. "I work hard to create shows that my husband will love just as much as my 6-year-old daughter. Even though the target audience is teenagers, Kate’s struggle is just as poignant for adults."