In lieu of an abstract, here is a brief excerpt of the content:

Reviewed by:
  • The Taming of the Shrew, and: Twelfth Night
  • Emma Poltrack
The Taming of the ShrewPresented by Propeller at the Everyman Theatre, Cheltenham, England. 04 1620, 2013. Directed by Edward Hall. Designed by Michael Pavelka. Lighting by Ben Ormerod. Sound by David Gregory. Music by Propeller. Vocal arrangements and additional music direction by Jon Trenchard. With Ben Allen (Biondello), Darrell Brockis (Vincentio), Joseph Chance (Curtis), John Dougall (Gremio), Finn Hanlon (Lucentio), Lewis Hart (Servant), Christopher Heyward (A Tailor/Widow), Vince Leigh (Christopher Sly/Petruchio), Chris Myles (Baptista), Liam O’Brien (Tranio), Benjamin O’Mahony (Grumio/A Pedant), Gary Shelford (Hortensio), Dan Wheeler (Katherine) and Arthur Wilson (Bianca).
Twelfth NightPresented by Propeller at the Everyman Theatre, Cheltenham, England. 04 1720, 2013. Directed by Edward Hall. Designed by Michael Pavelka. Lighting by Ben Ormerod. Sound by David Gregory. Music by Propeller. Vocal arrangements and additional music direction by Jon Trenchard. With Ben Allen (Olivia), Darrell Brockis (Second Officer), Joseph Chance (Viola), John Dougall (Sir Andrew Aguecheek), Finn Hanlon (Antonio), Lewis Hart (First Officer), Christopher Heyward (Orsino), Vince Leigh (Sir Toby), Chris Myles (Malvolio), Liam O’Brien (Feste), Benjamin O’Mahony (Sea Captain), Gary Shelford (Maria), Dan Wheeler (Sebastian) and Arthur Wilson (Curio/Priest).

In recent years, Edward Hall’s Propeller, an all-male Shakespeare company known for its inventiveness and high caliber of ensemble playing, has been preoccupied with its own past. As the company has accelerated its production pace, it has increasingly turned to reviving previous productions rather than creating new work. Propeller’s current versions of The Taming of the Shrewand Twelfth Nightare nearly identical replicas of its 2006–2007 productions. In recent performances, though both productions remained striking in their interpretations of Shakespeare’s plays, the darker atmospheres occasionally conflicted with the spirit of fun embodied by the current acting company.

The productions shared a single set, which consisted of an open, adaptable space populated by two mirrored wardrobes and a chest of drawers. In addition to visually underscoring the themes of disguise in both plays, these set pieces aided in highlighting the specific concerns of each production. Costumes to be used in The Taming of the Shrew’s play-within-a-play were seen spilling out of the chest during the opening scene, [End Page 539]foreshadowing the complicated playacting of the main action. In Twelfth Night,the mirrored wardrobes were used to emphasize the emotional connection of the separated twins. The same type of mirror as was used on the wardrobes formed a three-feet-high running board against the upstage wall, catching the audience’s own reflection and incorporating it into the worlds of the plays. In The Taming of the Shrew,this method of visual participation indicated audience complicity in Katherine’s brutal taming, as their blurred reflections surrounded the playing area with silent figures observing instances of domestic abuse. In Twelfth Night,such reflections expanded the ranks of the masked chorus that lurked in the shadows and haunted the inhabitants of Illyria.

This subtle integration of the audience into the productions implied the larger role of community in shaping the behaviors evidenced in the plays, an idea especially relevant to Propeller’s interpretation of The Taming of the Shrew.The fact that Propeller is an all-male company has drawn criticism of late from those who feel women are under-represented in theater. This is partially because Propeller does not try to hide the sex of the actor portraying a female role, a choice that sometimes results in caricature. For it to take on The Taming of the Shrew, an especially difficult play to reconcile with contemporary views regarding the rights of women, is to invite even more scrutiny, as such caricature could be seen to be making light of a serious social concern. Propeller largely managed to avoid such an accusation by shifting the focus of the production from Katherine’s experience and emotional journey to Christopher Sly’s fantasy of male dominance. The opening moments of the induction were reimagined as Sly’s aborted wedding ceremony, which abruptly halted when he drunkenly passed out at the altar. Tricked into thinking he was a lord, Sly...

pdf

Share