THE TAMING OF THE SHREW

You'll believe night is day! Katherina isn't top of Lucentio's or Hortensio's popularity list. Her sister Bianca is, but Bianca isn't on the market until Katherina gets hitched. Enter Petruchio, a Shrew Whisperer, intent on Katherina's dowry. 3 men with just 2 women on their mind but who will succeed? And who will complete the taming of the shrew?

This filmed stage production of the play starts with the Induction where a trick is played by a nobleman on the drunkard Christopher Sly who arranges for an acting troupe to perform a play called The Taming of the Shrew...

The beautiful and gentle Bianca has no shortage of admirers (Lucentio, Gremio and Hortensio) but her father insists that she will not marry until her shrewish sister, Katharina, is betrothed. Bianca's suitors persuade fortune-seeker Petruchio to court her. The suitors pay for any costs involved and there is also the goal of Katharina's dowry.

Sparks fly between Katharina and Petruchio and they enter into various slanging matches but not to be put off Petruchio marries Katharina. His behaviour following the wedding is intolerable and he carries Katharina off to his country house with his servant Grumio. Petruchio intends to browbeat Katharina into submission and he craftily denies her food and sleep, whilst continuously singing her praises. He also finds fault with her new clothes and she is forced to wear old ones. This is the final straw and Katharina starts agreeing and pleasing her husband - she has been tamed.

On their return to Padua Lucentio has won Bianca and Hortensio has married a widow. At a banquet they wager on who has the most obedient wife. Each wife is issued with commands but only Katharina obeys and promptly lectures everyone on the importance of wifely submission!

The theme of the play is a farcical comedy but the question is did Shakespeare really believe that a woman was in no way equal to a man or was this play tongue in cheek and was he portraying how men would simply like things to be!

Starring Franklin Seales as Petrucio, Karen Austin as Katherina, Larry Drake as Baptista. Directed by John Allinson. Produced by Jack Nakano. Music Composed by Gerald Bernard Cohen.

DVD Info

Region: 0
Running Time: 105 minutes