The Taming of the Shrew is one of Shakespeare's famous romantic comedies. Set in Padua, the story of Katerina and Petruchio teaches all of us how to develop respect and appreciation for each other. The play has been adapted numerous times for stage, screen, opera, ballet and musical theater (Cole Porter's Kiss Me, Kate); don't […]
The Merchant of Venice is classified as a comedy, since it ends in marriage instead of death. This is surprising to modern audiences especially considering the treatment of Shylock, the Jewish moneylender. Is it an anti-Semitic play? Or a play with anti-Semitic characters? Shakespeare rises above the simplistic categorizations in a play that gives agency […]
Patrick Barlow's The 39 Steps is a comedic parody play adapted from Alfred Hitchcock's murder thriller of the same name. The cast involves four professional actors who play about 150 zany characters. The serious spy story is played for laughs and includes many allusions to other Hitchcock films.