Taming of the Shrew: or, A Study in Brainwashing

[venetia_sassy]

We had a terrific time last night, the performance was excellent. And while it was ridiculously cold (we were wishing we'd brought an extra rug for our knees, not just a rug and cushions to sit on!) it was also clear. Apparently, it was their first performance without rain this season. *facepalm* Poor things. Even so, I felt sorry for the actors in their summerweight outfits. At least they were running around a lot? But poor 'Kate' was doused with water at one point and spent the remaining ten minutes of the scene in a soaking wet dress!

Yes, I did thoroughly enjoy the performance, the setup and the actors were wonderful. But my recollection of the play was not faulty - there is some really disturbing stuff going on.

 

This production was set in 1930s film studio in 'Padua' with Bianca as a starlet, Katharina as an aviator and their father as a director. Bianca's suitors were fellow actors and Petruchio, a naval officer. There was a lot of physical humour and all the actors were pretty good.

(Ye gods, Mum's just interrupted this with the discovery of a huge centipede in the kitchen sink. Where the fuck did that come from?!)

Michael Cullen, as Grumio, Petruchio's long-suffering, dim-witted servant, was brilliant. Wonderful comedic timing! There was a hilarious scene when Grumio was describing Petruchio's wedding clothes and he sped up the delivery until it sounded like a race commentary and the others were staring beyond the audience like they were following a horse race. It was so clever. They used the sounds of an aeroplane and the motions of the actors to suggest Kate's plane buzzing the studio lot (and ruining a shoot.) The 'honeymoon' scene was supposed to be in Petruchio's ship and the actors would sway and lurch in unison as thought they were really on a ship and not in an old shearing shed.

It was all very clever and yeah, the comedic timing of all concerned was gold. There was so much laughter. But at the same time, there was a very disturbing story running through it all.
 

 

James Lugton (I remembered him from As You Like It) as Petruchio and Danielle King as Kate were fantastic. Lugton made Petruchio almost sympathetic as the strong-willed and clever man who knows how to get what he wants. And Kate ... I couldn't help but feel sorry for her, even at the beginning when she was throwing things and behaving badly because it was very clear that was doing so in reaction to others. If people were rude to her, she didn't turn the other cheek, she was rude right back! But that wasn't what they expected so they labelled her a shrew and she lived up to it. Why not? It was quite clear no one gave a damn about what she wanted or felt or thought.

Now let's set out what happens and Why Petruchio Is A Bastard. He comes to Padua to find a rich wife. He doesn't give a damn what she looks like, sounds like, whatever, as long as she's rich. He hears about Kate. She'll be rich and no one else wants her because she's a shrew. So he blandishes her father into consenting before Petruchio's even seen Kate much less spoken to her. He tell Kate he's going to marry her, regardless of what she wants. He twists the situation so it seems she has consented. He publicly humiliates her on their wedding day, takes her away from her home, family and friends to a place where she's isolated. He deprives her of food, drink and sleep for at least two days, keeps up arguments and clamour and contradiction so she can never be sure of what's going on, then humiliates her again, keeps up the contradictions and bizarre claims until she finally wears down and goes along with it. But he isn't content with that. He makes her participate in her own public humiliation.

And when he's finally got her where he wants her, he shows her a bit of tenderness. And then Kate gives a speech about how wives should joyfully submit to their husbands.

Hi, can we say BRAINWASHING? Can we say CULT TACTICS? Petruchio claims he's doing it for her own good because she's isn't happy as a shrew. Does he bother to find out why she's a shrew? No? Why not? Because he doesn't even know her or what she wants but it will be best for him if she's happy as a submissive, compliant wife. *gag*

When I first read this, it struck me as a BDSM fantasy (non con.) After seeing it last night, I was thinking that it Taming were a fanfic, the play would only be Part 1. Part 2 would involve someone rescuing Kate from her brainwashing husband and uncaring family, getting her deprogrammed so she can figure things out for herself and hopefully find a mate who likes her bold, outspoken ways. And if Kate actually had people who cared abut her and liked her for who she is, she'd be less angry and inclined to throw things. And guess what? Less 'shrewish'!

Amazing how that works.

Yes. So as hysterically funny as the play was, strip away the comedy and the subplots and you've got something dark and unpleasant. There's a kind of romance novel/fic that I like, with two strong-willed characters learning to respect each other's strength and intelligence. The set-up with Petruchio and Kate could easily go that way and the final scene could be the two of them playing a huge prank on everyone. But the scenes in between cut out that possibility.

 

 

There seemed to be a lot of crossdressing in the play but hey, Shakespeare so I wasn't surprised. But when I looked up the play later I realised that Lucentio and Hortensio originally posed as tutors, not governess. But their crossdressing was hilarious and tied into another character arc. There was a fantastic charcter named Tonia whom I didn't remember at all. And Mum didn't remember her either. And we're both wondering how we managed to forget this clever, crossdressing sister of Lucentio who clearly has at least twice her brother's brains. And she didn't really get a resolution ... she's unmasked and disgraced at the end of the play and just ... fades out.

And as we were coming home, I realised that clearly Part 2 should have Tonia rescuing Kate and eventually, these two unconventional women can live their lives as they damn well please, whether that means crossdressing or mannish clothes or skirts, and flying planes and travelling and whatever. That would be a far more satisfactory ending for the only two characters I had sympathy for (except Grumio who might be rather stupid but still deserves a better master than Petruchio.)

Then I looked up the play and realised that the reason I didn't remember Tonia is because the original character is Tremio, Lucentio's servant. He may pose as his master but he's have no reason to be sympathetic to Kate. *sigh* There went my hopes for Tonia/Kate fic.

 
I think I had more to say about that but I forget what it was. And I've said rather a lot already.

Tonia/Kate FTW! And we're looking forward to Macbeth.

Comments

[melusina]

Interesting! The only production of Shrew that's worked for me is one where they played it as if Kate and Petruchio were in cahoots and this was all a game they were playing for appearances sake - I believe they did cut some of the text and also added some extra-textual business to support that reading. I don't really believe you can get that from the text as it stands, unfortunately. It's probably the only Shakespeare that I'd flat our refuse to direct. . .

It does sound like the 30's film studio take was fun. Years ago I saw a production of Much Ado in London that was set during WWII - the messenger at the beginning roared on stage in a vintage motorcycle!