Considered William Shakespeare’s first comedy, “The Taming of the Shrew” revolves around two sisters – one avoiding marriage (Katherine), and one longing for it (Bianca) – and the lengths to which suitors will go to win their “prize.” 

Theatre Arts has set the Elizabethan play in 1963 America, raising questions of gender roles, then and now. Seen through this lens, the audience may wonder if Katherine is more feminist than “shrewish.”   

J. Ariadne Calvano, assistant professor of Acting and Movement, is the director. She worked with dramaturg Janna Segal to edit the script and adapt a new induction. The two answered a few questions for UofL News about their collaborative effort.��

UofL News: This isn’t your typical mounting of “The Taming of the Shrew.” How is it different? 

Typically, in productions I’ve seen, Kate is assumed to be a shrew. She is labeled as such in the title and therefore, is portrayed as such. We wanted to start with the text and consider what earns her the label of shrew and is it deserved? I’ve had many labels thrust upon me, some I wear proudly others make me angry, but they are all indeed labels and should be recognized as such.��

UofL News: What gave you the idea of setting the play in 1963?

It all started with one phrase “Make Padua Great Again.” During the 2016 presidential campaign, a similar phrase became a major piece of then candidate Trump’s rhetoric. This begged the question, “When was the last time it was GREAT?” and, “What stopped it from being GREAT?” President Trump pointed to the 1940s and 50s as a time when America was great, citing “we were not pushed around, we were respected by everybody, we had just won a war, we were pretty much doing what we had to do” (CNN). My research turned to the events of the early 1960s, during still-burgeoning stages of the second-wave feminist and Civil Rights movements. In our production, the play-within-the-play is set in 1963, the year Betty Friedan’s “Feminine Mystique” was published, John F. Kennedy was assassinated, the year after the Black is Beautiful movement ignited at a Harlem fashion show and the cultural landscape was shifting. The play begins and ends in 2018 at a “Make Padua Great Again Rally” that serves to critically evaluate the progress America has experienced since the Civil Rights Movement.��

UofL News: Can politics of the moment and movements such as #MeToo cause us to reconsider “The Taming of the Shrew?”

The politics of the moment and movements such as #MeToo and Believe all Women certainly cause us to reconsider “The Taming of the Shrew.” There’s a famous quote from playwright Bertolt Brecht, “Art is not a mirror held up to reality but a hammer with which to shape it.” I think art is a complex mix of both.��

Who can we expect to see in this play? Any standouts roles we should look for? 

Third-year student Lauren Dobbs will be playing the part of Tronia as her MFA thesis role. Third-year student Terry Tocantins will be playing the part of Hortensio for his MFA thesis role.��Two undergraduate seniors are featured in the cast, Chasidy Moore will be playing Bianca and Bailey Story will be playing Lucentio.

We’ve got a range of students from Theatre Arts graduate and undergraduate majors, non-majors and two community members, J. Scott Tatum and Anthony David Ward will also be featured in the production as well as Baptista and the Merchant, respectively.  

“The Taming of the Shrew” runs Nov. 8-10 and 15-18 at The Playhouse Theatre, 1911 S. 3rd St. to purchase tickets.��  

This unique collaboration gives students the opportunity to learn from each other and from the talented, world-class theatre educators at both organizations.

Baron Kelly, associate professor and head of acting at UofL, will play the role of King Lear.��Kelly is a four-time Fulbright Scholar, critic, historian, scholar and practitioner with numerous international credits in modern and classic productions. His Broadway credits include “Salome” with Al Pacino, “Electra” with the late Colleen Dewhurst, King Arthur in “Camelot,” The King in the 50th anniversary production of “The King and I” and Belize in the World Premiere of “Angels in America.”

“King Lear” is one of the most challenging plays in the classical canon, so much so that it’s often referred to as the Mount Everest of acting.��

Kelly promised the cast and crew has pulled out all the stops to make this version as unforgettable as possible.

“This is the University of Louisville’s version of Broadway’s ‘Hamilton,'” Kelly said.��

Charlie Sexton, artistic director at CTC, will play the Earl of Gloucester. A number of students from UofL and CTC will play supporting roles and Jennifer Pennington, artistic associate at CTC, is directing the production.

Sexton said he met Kelly in 2015 and the two have discussed ways to collaborate ever since. This production is the first such undertaking, but possibly not the last.

“We hope to continue our partnership, perhaps developing a mentorship exchange between UofL and Walden students and giving UofL students the opportunity to appear in productions with the professional company-in-residence at CTC,” Sexton said. “I also hope the experience will broaden the audience for both institutions.” 

The show is an official part of , the city-wide collaboration of more than 45 arts, cultural and educational organizations celebrating all things Shakespeare before the arrival of the national traveling exhibit, “.”

The tragedy depicts King Lear’s gradual descent into madness, after he disposes of his kingdom giving bequests to two of his three daughters based on their flattery of him, bringing tragic consequences for all.

“I love that it’s such a huge, sweeping tale, but it’s also as suburban as it is universal. The nature of fathers with their sons and daughters hits home for so many people,” Pennington said.��“We have attacked this wonderful story from the perspective of Lear’s mind. As if upon walking into the theater you have stumbled through a doorway that led into his brain, seeing through his eyes, sort of a ‘being King Lear’ approach. The world the audiences sees deteriorates as the King’s mind goes.” 

The Playhouse is on UofL’s Belknap Campus, 1911 S. Third St. “King Lear” runs Nov. 10-14 and 17-20 starting at 8 p.m. with 3 p.m. Sunday matinees. Tickets are $15 for general admission, $12 for faculty, alumni, seniors and non-UofL students and $8 for UofL students. To order tickets or for more information, call the box office at 502-852-6814 or click .

The events at the Main Library, 301 York St., are part of the Will in the Ville citywide celebration of all things Shakespeare. UofL, Louisville Free Public Library and the Frazier History Museum are the chief sponsors with more than 45 community partners helping to mark the 400^th anniversary of the author’s death. The “First Folio! The Book That Gave Us Shakespeare” exhibition at the Frazier History Museum will run Nov. 10-Dec. 10.

Here are some featured events:

Oct. 10-Dec. 10 – “Shakespeare in Kentucky,” original exhibition about the history of Shakespeare and Shakespearean performances in the state, including rarely seen photographs and artifacts from UofL Libraries’ Archives and Special Collections, Kentucky Historical Society, The Filson Historical Society and others. The exhibit is produced in collaboration with UofL’s English, history and geography and geosciences departments and will be open at the library’s Bernheim Gallery during regular hours.

Oct. 17 – “Shakespeare in the World,” UofL and Sister Cities of Louisville Inc. present short discussions by UofL professors Matthew Biberman and Hristomir Stanev, English, and Janna Segal, theater arts, and readings of Shakepeare’s “To be, or not to be” soliloquy performed in the various languages of Louisville’s sister cities. The event is free but tickets are required by calling 502-574-1644 or .����

Oct. 18, 25, Nov. 1, 8, 15 –,” UofL English professor Julia Dietrich will teach a five-week, Tuesday night short course on Shakespeare’s “greatest hits,” their eternal themes and lasting impact on modern language and culture. The course is free, but registration is required by calling 502-574-1623. (6:30-8 p.m.)

The full event schedule is .��

The University of Louisville’s English department presents the 2016 Phi Beta Kappa Lecture with support from the Phi Beta Kappa Association of Kentuckiana.

Shapiro’s talk at the Main Library, 301 York St., is part of the . UofL, Louisville Free Public Library and the Frazier History Museum are the chief sponsors, but there are more than 45 community partners helping to mark the 400^th anniversary of the author’s death. The “First Folio! The Book That Gave Us Shakespeare” exhibition at the Frazier History Museum will run Nov. 10-Dec. 10, and several UofL professors will give gallery talks.

Shapiro will draw from his “Shakespeare in America” anthology, which he edited for the Library of America, to discuss how American writers from all regional, social, ethnic and political sectors have turned to Shakespeare in exploring issues that defined and divided the United States. His other books include “Contested Will: Who Wrote Shakespeare?” and “1599: A Year in the Life of William Shakespeare” and “The Year of Lear: Shakespeare in 1606,” expected this fall.

Shapiro is the Larry Miller professor of English and comparative literature at Columbia University. He serves on the Royal Shakespeare Company and Folger Shakespeare Library boards; the Folger, Cincinnati Museum Center and American Library Association have made the traveling First Folio exhibit possible through a grant.

The event is free but tickets are required. Register at LFPL.org or call 502-574-1644.