MONMOUTH, Ill. — The renowned American Shakespeare Center has announced that its 2007-08 “Piercing Eloquence” tour will take the stage at Monmouth College on March 4 for a one-night performance of Shakespeare’s hilarious comedy, “The Taming of the Shrew.”
The single performance, free and open to the public, will be held at 7 p.m. in the Kasch Performance Hall of the Dahl Chapel and Auditorium. No ticket reservations are necessary.
Headquartered at the center’s celebrated Blackfriars Playhouse in Staunton, Va. – the world’s only re-creation of Shakespeare’s indoor theater – the internationally-acclaimed theater company boasts nearly two decades of global touring experience. In 2006, it played to audiences at Monmouth College and the surrounding community with performances of “Return to the Forbidden Planet” and Shakespeare’s “The Tempest.”
Jim Warren, the troupe’s artistic director for the “Shrew,” says that while Shakespeare’s comedy has often been described as a “battle of the sexes,” he believes that it is also a profound look at the absolute necessity of “play” in our lives. “Blending romantic comedy and outlandish farce, Shakespeare gives us a love story of psychological liberation and the mysteries of being married,” he said.
The director describes his production of “The Taming of the Shrew” as an Elizabethan farce that addresses the issues of freedom, equality and the primacy of marriage. “Yet, many have criticized and condemned Shakespeare’s ‘Shrew’ for being a sexist play that degrades women,” Warren noted. “Hundreds of productions have reinforced this false perception of chauvinism by having a macho Petruchio manhandle a neurotic Kate until she is beaten into an obedient and submissive servant. These productions, in my opinion, miss the mark in getting at the heart of Shakespeare’s funniest love story that ends with his happiest couple.”
While on campus, members of the touring troupe will also present workshops for theater and English students and classes.
For more information about the touring company or their MC performance, contact Marlo Belschner, assistant professor of English, at 309-457-2377 or mmb@monm.edu.
