Shakespeare in the ‘80s?
Totally tubular.
Opening on Jan. 15, the theater department is set to perform “Taming of the Shrew,” a Shakespearean comedy–with a twist. The dialogue will be performed as originally written, but the play will be set in the 1980s, with a score of classic ‘80s music and each character being styled and performed based on a rock icon from that era.
The play will run at 7 p.m. on Jan. 15–17, and the understudy show will take place at 2 p.m. on Jan. 17. Tickets can be found on Teach Tix, with prices starting at $9.
“I knew I wanted to do a classic play,” theater director Jamaal Solomon said. “‘Taming of the Shrew’ called to me, because I felt I could translate that story into something that people would be interested in watching. A lot of people don’t like to watch Shakespeare because it can be boring. So I said, ‘What if I do it with all ‘80s music?’”
The story follows the relationship of a man named Petruchio and a woman named Katherine as Petruchio attempts to “tame” her into an obedient wife. This is so her younger, more docile sister, Bianca can marry, as she is forbidden to do so until Katherine is wed.
Senior Jolin Alcindor plays Petruchio, and along with the rest of the cast, had to learn to balance the retro elements of an ‘80s setting with the classic Shakespearean story in characterization.
“Everything we say is still true to Shakespeare but the dialects in which we speak it are all more contemporary with the time that we are portraying the characters,” Alcindor said. “So I think [of it as a] Venn diagram between the person, the character you’re playing and the character you’re trying to emulate.”
Petruchio’s character is modeled after the artist formally known as Prince. Kate, his love interest in the play, is modeled after rockstar Joan Jett.
“One of the biggest things I did going into this role is I studied Prince,” Alcindor said. “I studied the way he talked [and] moved across the stage. And definitely, I think what makes this character a little more biting is that he has more femininity to him, especially like Prince did. And I think that kind of makes the contrast between Kate, who is not as feminine as women were expected to be in that time.”
Shakespeare plays are famously some of the hardest to perform, as actors must understand and perform lines in Early Modern English. Senior Kaitlyn Barry took on the challenge throughout her first role in a cast, playing The Widow.
“It’s very tricky with the word[ing], and you have to pay attention to the iambic pentameter in the way Shakespeare writes, mixed with ‘80s rock and roll,” Barry said. “It’s very complicated. I was very nervous, but honestly, once I actually got into it and memorized my lines, it [was] exciting.”
The play is also monologue-heavy, providing actors with additional challenges in the form of lengthy memorization. Sophomore Tyler Honda plays Gremio, and is the understudy for Petruchio, who has over 500 lines in the play.
“What I did over winter break was clock in three hour shifts every day, or just walk around my table in a loop just with the book memorizing, and it worked,” Honda said.
While the cast was busy memorizing lines, the crew was tasked with building a platform meant to mimic an ‘80s concert stage, and doors off to the side for characters to enter and exit.
“Everything’s been going good,” set crew member Ian Urbanek said. “[I’m excited because] once you finish the set, you get to move it onto stage, which means you’re actually interacting with the set that you built.”
The costume, makeup and hair was designed to honor the over-the-top ‘80s style, taking inspiration from the rock icons that inspired each character to craft each look.
“The ‘80s elements seemed to be the easiest part,” Solomon said. “You can thrift a lot of costumes, because things are vintage nowadays. Finding props for an ‘80s time period is a lot easier than finding them for a Renaissance time period.”
Behind the scenes, many involved in production developed a sense of camaraderie with one another that made it easier to overcome challenges that arose.
“Everyone’s very welcoming,” Barry said. “You can say, ‘Guys, I need help’, and you’d have 10 people run to you at once. It’s a very good community. [People] guide [each other] if they’re confused or lost.”
After starting production in November., many in the cast and crew are looking forward to seeing their work pay off during the upcoming performances.
“I hope [the audience] can understand a love for Shakespeare and the beauty in his words,” Solomon said. “While the story itself is probably a little dated, the language itself is beautiful. In the end, the story really is about who we are, and can we change. It’s bold and it’s funnier than you think, if you just sit back and enjoy it.”
