University theatre performs Shakespeare’s
‘Taming of the Shrew’ to a sold out crowd

By Sonia Jackson
Staff Writer

"The Taming of the Shrew" cast of UNCP students performed to a sold out audience Oct. 26 in the Givens Performing Arts Center.

Students, faculty and community members took their seats right on the stage where the set, designed in striking colors of green, red and shades of purple, seemed to merge the audience with the play.

This gave the audience an up close and personal view of the show.

The characters came out onto the stage and the moment they opened their mouths they had the audience's attention.

The sweet romance between Bianca and Lucentio, who had disguised himself as her tutor to win her over, complimented the stormy courtship between the rebellious shrew Katherina and the boldly confident Petruchio.

The scheming suitors, Gremio, Hortensio and Lucentio, who also wanted to win the hand of Bianca, provided great laughter for the audience.

Grumio, personal servant to Petruchio, Tremio and Biondello, Lucentio's servants, also gave the audience plenty to laugh at with their quick wit, vocal opinions and loyalty to their masters that sometimes landed them into trouble.

"I love it," Deitra William, from Fayetteville, said.

She admitted she was partial to her son, Andra Hale, who played Hortensio, one of Bianca's suitors.

Quentin Carter, a freshman that has studied Shakespeare, said the cast did a good job interpreting the story and that they had given the story a nice twist.

Stephanie Burns, a freshman, also said it was "very entertaining."

The climax of the story came when the newly made husbands Lucentio and Petruchio, and Hortensio, who was actually involved with a widow, decided to test the obedience of their wives.

As Hortensio's wife was nearly as shrewish as Katherina, and Lucentio's wife, Bianca, was seen as the epitome of beauty and sweetness, the winner of this bet seemed obvious.

Yet, Katherina surprised everyone at the end, proving it was indeed possible to tame a shrew.

Kyle Orozovich, a senior at UNCP, said he was "pleasantly surprised" with the show and that it made him enjoy Shakespeare more so than in the past.

I thought it was really fun" to see the broad comedy of the show, Dr. Chet Jordan, director of theater, said.