Fresno Famous

Taming of the Shrew, Shakespeare's play which pits the hardheaded Petruchio against strong-willed and fiery Kate in a battle of the sexes.
Take a sneak peek at the promo video for the production: http://youtube.com/watch?v=4Rt7Wsw453Y

Woodward Park Rotary Amphitheatre: 7775 Friant Road, Fresno, CA. 93720

Thursday - Saturday evenings at 8:00 P.M. (Pre-show at 7:30 P.M.). August 16 through September 15, 2007.

FREE general admission seating ($3 per vehicle park admission) Priority reserved seating available online at $10 per ticket.
Online reservations: http://www.woodwardshakespeare.org

Shakespeare's genius (and the reason his plays are still performed today) is his ability to excite the hearts and minds of an audience. He was, in the best sense of the word, a populist, whose reason for writing was not only to inspire and illuminate, but also to entertain and amuse. The characters onstage are a creation of Shakespeare's. But, like most of Shakespeare's creations, they are not entirely original to him. The style of theater that most influenced the writing of Taming of the Shrew (with the exception of the "Taming" plays popular at the time, from which Shakespeare borrowed elements of the plot) was the Italian Commedia Dell' Arte. Dell' Arte is best known for its archetypes: The naive Lovers, the miserly Father, and the mischievous Servant to name a few. Shakespeare used these ready-made characters in creating the world Kate and Petruchio inhabit. While this production of Shrew is not done as a Dell' Arte play, it borrows heavily from the contemporary echoes of Dell' Arte: Cartoons, the Marx Brothers, and Vaudeville. Shakespeare, even in this over-the-top comedy, provides us with a very true and profound insight into human nature.