George Washington's Fredericksburg Foundation - Taming of the Shrew at Kenmore

Kenmore offers the Bard, with a twist

By Ed Jones
Published in the Free Lance-Star: June 18, 2008

Sarah Hall and Mike Setti enliven
the Shakespeare classic.

DO YOU LIKE a little Marx Brothers with your Shakespeare? Looking for a theatrical "classic" that will have you rolling in the aisles--or maybe on the lawn? Tired of pumping the gas and dodging the road-ragers to see theater in D.C.?

Well, stroll on over to the grounds of Historic Kenmore Plantation this weekend for the latest jewel in Fredericksburg's increasingly lively theater scene.

For $10 ($5 for children), you can pitch your lawn chair for just the right angle to witness the romantic misadventures of Katherina and Petruchio in Shakespeake's "The Taming of the Shrew." Not ready for something as "heavy" as Shakespeare this summer?

Not to worry. Under the magical directing wand of veteran showman Fred Franklin, this homegrown theatrical troupe concocts a rambunctious comedy that's closer in spirit to Groucho, Harpo and Chico than to Macbeth.

If the truth be known, it may also be closer to the spirit of Shakespeare way back when than are today's more classical productions.

Franklin's genius is his ability to mix hopelessly inappropriate modern touches with a production stripped down to the kind of basic road show that actually made a stop in Fredericksburg in 1771.

Saturday's heavy rain moved the production inside Kenmore's visitors center, creating the kind of "houseguest" intimacy 18th-century theatergoers might have experienced.

Rarely has so small a space been filled with such energy. With a pace this fast, you won't glance at your watch once in the under-two-hour production.

"Shrew" is not the only memorable offering in the area, whose theatrical fare includes grand old Broadway musicals at the Riverside Center Dinner Theater. Amateur companies such as Stage Door and student productions at the University of Mary Washington add to the mix.

Another recent triumph came from the rejuvenated Rude Mechanicals troupe, whose searing production of Arthur Miller's "All My Sons" packed an emotional wallop. I couldn't get the themes of moral confusion out of my head for days.

The tone is 180 degrees different for "The Taming of the Shrew." Though this abridged comedy captures the essence of the Great Bard, its power comes from its unadulterated commitment to having fun.

Watching the delightful Sarah Hall, as Katherina, burst into a couple of verses of "Hit the Road, Jack" may rattle purists in the audience. But it's gloriously appropriate for this production's lowbrow sense of showmanship.

Mike Setti is maddeningly perfect as Petruchio, the chauvinistic Kate-tamer who takes devilish glee in her torment.

What's more, there's not a weak link in the over-the-top supporting cast, which includes Mark Wright, a drama teacher at James Monroe High School.

A jumble of weird angles as Tranio, Wright archly tiptoes across the stage like a demented vampire, a psychotic grin plastered across his face.

In this production, he fits right in.

Ed Jones: 540/374-5401
Email: edjones@freelancestar.com