Theatre Fairfield Presents Gender-Bent "Taming of the Shrew," Apr. 20-25
Theatre Fairfield, ¶¶Ņō»Ęʬapp's resident production company, concludes its 2016-17 season with a unique and modern interpretation of Shakespeareās famous comedy, The Taming of the Shrew .
Performances of the gender-bending, social-media inspired production will take place at the PepsiCo Theatre at ¶¶Ņō»Ęʬapp on Thursday, April 20 through Tuesday, April 25.Ā Evening shows at 8 p.m. will be held on Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Monday, and Tuesday with a 2 p.m. matinee on Sunday, April 23. Tickets are $15 general admission, $6 for seniors and University staff and $5 for students. They can be purchased in person at the Quick Center Box Office, by phone at 1-877-ARTS-396, or online at .
When asked what makes this production different from other productions of The Taming of Shrew, Director Tom Schwans said, āIf Shakespeare were alive today, heād be a social media junkie crafting his image for his following. Theatre Fairfieldās The Taming of the Shrew challenges our perception of how we view ourselves and our world. With men as women and women as men, this gender-bent production is a raunchy delight. It's a Shakespearean production provocative enough it will make you put your phone down.ā
Through the clever incorporation of social media apps, hashtags and smartphones, Theatre Fairfield thrusts Shakespeareās classic play into the 21 st Century and makes it relatable to modern day audiences. During the production, each character is seen using an iPhone and apps like instagram to snap āselfies,ā which are projected for the audience to see on nine-foot scenery pieces that resemble iPads. Not only do these images play an important role in moving the action of the play forward, but they speak to the underlying theme of Shakespeareās work.
āThe play deals with the gap between how we present ourselves to the worldāour public facesāand our authentic selvesāour real faces,ā explains Producer and Scenic Designer Lynne Porter.Ā āSo we are using the āselfieā to emphasize the difference between the two. This came from a realization that our students take pictures of themselves all the time, but they have a hard time seeing themselves clearly.ā
Theatre Fairfieldās production of The Taming of the Shrew is directed by New York actor and founding member of the Guerrilla Shakespeare Project Tom Schwans. The company is lead by Theatre Fairfield regulars Julie Leavitt, costume designer; Lynne Chase, lighting designer; and Lynne Porter, scenic designer and producer.
The cast features Danielle Agate ā19, Valerie Bien-Aime ā20, Liam Cahill ā18, Maeve Hegley ā19, Shannon Kelley ā19, Jordan Mason ā19, Brendan McNamara ā17, Erin Elizabeth Miller ā18, Kaylee Moran ā18, Michelle Rakowsky ā17, and Emily Ramsey ā20. The production is stage managed by Fallon Sullivan ā20 and Melissa Barry ā18.
Theatre Fairfield produces four productions every year and serves as a platform for community engagement as well as a positive and professional learning environment.