#008 - The Taming of the Shrew

“He that is giddy thinks the world turns round” – The Widow

We’re back with episode 8! Despite some mid-episode audio issues, we’re commencing my look at The Taming of the Shrew, circa 1592, one of the Bard’s rougher early works. Join me for a journey through the plot’s highs and lows, Shakespeare’s first googlewhack, and a heckuva lot of male privilege.

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Key links below. You can also visit the bibliography page here, which is a work in progress.

Links mentioned:

Patient Griselda Ovid, Heroides (Penelope to Ulysses) Dittography 10 Things I Hate About You (1999; d: Gil Junger) Deliver Us From Eva (2003; d: Gary Hardwick) ShakespeaRe-Told: The Taming of the Shrew (2005; d: David Richards) Marjorie Garber, Shakespeare After All (Penguin Random House, 2005) John Fletcher, The Woman’s Prize, or the Tamer Tamed (1611)

Music clips:

Nino Rota, soundtrack to Zeffirelli’s “The Taming of the Shrew”, 1967 (Columbia Picutres, US / Italy) orchestra conducted by Carlo Savina

-Overture -Student’s Masquerade -Sarabande -Married on Sunday

“Orchestral selections from Kiss Me, Kate” (Naxos), conducted by Richard Hayman

Excerpts:

“The Taming of the Shrew”, Shakespeare’s Globe (2011), d: Toby Frow; members of the company (Lord / Huntsmen), Simon Paisley Day (Petruchio), Samantha Spiro (Katharina), Pearce Quigley (Grumio)

“The Taming of the Shrew”, Shakespeare: The Animated Tales (1994), d: Aida Ziablikova, Malcolm Storry (Christopher Sly); John Warner (Servant), and Hilton McRae (Peter)

“Kiss Me Kate” by Cole Porter, and Sam and Bella Spewack, PBS: Great Performances (2003), d: Chris Hunt; Brent Barrett (Petruchio)

“The Taming of the Shrew”, BBC Television Shakespeare (1980), d: Jonathan Miller; John Cleese (Petruchio), Susan Penhaligon (Bianca), Simon Chandler (Lucentio), Jonathan Cecil (Hortensio), Harry Waters (Biondello), Anthony Pedley (Tranio), John Barron (Vincentio), Sarah Badel (Katharina)

“Kiss Me, Petruchio” (BBC2, 1979), d: Christopher Dixon, from Joseph Papp’s 1978 Taming of the Shrew (Delacorte Theatre, Central Park); Meryl Streep (Kate), Raul Julia (Petruchio)

“The Taming of the Shrew”, Arkangel Shakespeare (2005); Roger Allam (Petruchio), Frances Barber (Katharina), Charles Simpson (Hortensio)

“The Taming of the Shrew” (Pickford Corporation, 1929), d: Sam Taylor; Mary Pickford (Katherine)

Final speech (details above):

Meryl Streep (1979); Mary Pickford (1929); Frances Barber (2005); Samantha Spiro (2011); Sarah Badel (1980)