The Taming of the Shrew: 10 Fun Facts

One of Shakespeare’s first comedies, The Taming of the Shrew is one of his most famous—and deemed one of his most problematic—plays. Although difficult themes are discussed, Director Valerie Rachelle is approaching the play with color, fun, and comedy. Ultimately, this Festival production will use farce and slapstick comedy, and focus on how to treat others better.

1. Did you know The Taming of the Shrew is actually a play-within-a-play? Although most productions don’t include the induction at the beginning that creates this metadrama, Rachelle will be including it this season.

2. Rachelle is also taking the liberty to book-end the play with a more complete ending and bring the induction full-circle, as many claim this play by Shakespeare was unfinished because he left off the epilogue.

3. A lot of contemporary theatres choose to not produce this play because of its difficult themes. Rachelle, however, believes it teaches an important lesson if approached correctly. “It’s showing us what not to do, rather than what to do,” Rachelle said.

   

4. The play was popular during Shakespeare’s time, and a response to The Taming of the Shrew was written in 1611, nearly 20 years later. John Fletcher wrote The Woman’s Prize, or The Tamer Tamed, which tells the story of Petruchio marrying again, only to find the roles reversed as his new wife takes control of their marriage. In 1633, both plays were performed for King Charles I and were well-liked.

5. Unfortunately, Shakespeare gained inspiration for the play from popular folktales and ballads in England about wives being tamed by their aggressive husbands, which was a common practice in Elizabethan England.

6. The playwright may have also gained inspiration from Ludovico Ariosto’s Suppositi (1509) and George Gascoigne’s Supposes (1566).

7. Although not a musical, Sound Designer Lindsay Jones is creating new music for the production—a new addition that patrons familiar with the play can look forward to.

   

8. The play has been adapted many times. Some of the most well-known adaptations include Cole Porter’s musical Kiss Me, Kate!; McLintock!, a western starring John Wayne, and the 1967 film starring Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton.

9. Rachelle can do it all! Last season, she directed the immensely sweet and clever Jane Austen’s Emma The Musical in the Randall L. Jones Theatre. This season, she’s pivoting to a Shakespeare comedy and is producing in the outdoor space of the Engelstad Shakespeare Theare.

10. This is the Festival’s 11th production of the play, with the first being in 1962 and the most recent prior to this season in 2015.

Remember, it’s not too early to purchase tickets! Visit bard.org for tickets and more information about the play. Don’t miss out on our study guide, where you can find a synopsis, character summaries, and several articles on the play.