The Taming of the Shrew. William Shakespeare

the formerly daunting task of staging a Shakespeare play possible for anybody.

      With The 30-Minute Shakespeare book series I hope to help teachers and students produce a Shakespeare play in a short amount of time, thus jump-starting the process of discovering the beauty, magic, and fun of the Bard. Plot, theme, and language reveal themselves through the performance of these half-hour play cuttings, and everybody involved receives the priceless gift of “owning” a piece of Shakespeare. The result is an experience that is fun and engaging, and one that we can all carry with us as we play out our own lives on the stages of the world.

       NICK NEWLIN

      Brandywine, MD

      March 2010

       CHARACTERS IN THE PLAY

      The following is a list of characters that appear in this cutting of The Taming of the Shrew.

      Sixteen actors appeared in the original production. The number can be increased to about thirty or decreased to about ten by having actors share or double roles.

      For the full breakdown of characters, see Sample Program.

      LUCENTIO: Suitor to Bianca, later disguised as the teacher Cambio

      TRANIO: Servant to Lucentio

      BAPTISTA: Father to Katherine and Bianca

      GREMIO: Suitor to Bianca

      KATHERINE: Baptista’s elder daughter

      BIANCA: Baptista’s younger daughter

      PETRUCHIO: Suitor to Katherine

      GRUMIO: Servant to Petruchio

      HORTENSIO: Suitor to Bianca, later disguised as the teacher Litio

      BIONDELLO: Servant to Lucentio

       WIDOW

       SERVANTS

       CHORUS MEMBERS

       NARRATOR

      

SCENE 1. (ACT I, SCENE I)

      Padua, the town square.

      STAGEHANDS set two benches stage right and two benches stage left, side by side and facing center stage. Each bench holds four actors. Prior to curtain, the individual actors will place their props below the bench on which they will be sitting.

      Enter ALL, excluding LUCENTIO, TRANIO, BIONDELLO, PETRUCHIO, GREMIO, BIANCA, BAPTISTA, and KATHERINE, dancing, waving, and playing instruments. They circle the stage and then sit, four actors to a bench. All cast members return to their respective benches throughout the play rather than exiting offstage. While on the benches, the cast serves as the CHORUS, sometimes leaping up to participate and then returning to their benches.

      Enter LUCENTIO and TRANIO separately, walking in from stage left.

       LUCENTIO

      Tranio, my trusty servant,

      To see fair Padua,

      ALL onstage cheer.

      I am arrived.

      But stay awhile! What company is this?

       TRANIO

      Master, some show to welcome us to town.

      SOUND OPERATOR plays Sound Cue #1 (“Drumroll”).

      ALL look stage right.

      Enter BIONDELLO, PETRUCHIO, and GREMIO from stage right, looking frightened. GREMIO is using a cane. A shoe is thrown at them from offstage right.

      Enter BIANCA from stage right, running and ducking from an object being thrown from offstage. A shoe comes flying out, and she ducks. She nearly runs into BIONDELLO, PETRUCHIO, and GREMIO, but they catch her. As soon as BIANCA enters, LUCENTIO can’t keep his eyes off her.

      Another shoe is thrown from offstage right.

      Enter BAPTISTA from stage right, walking backward with his arms in front of him, protecting himself. ALL look at BAPTISTA, put their arms out in front of them, and gaze expectantly stage right. Nothing happens.

      SOUND OPERATOR plays Sound Cue #2 (“Drumroll”).

      From offstage right, another shoe is thrown. ALL watch as it bounces across the stage.

      Enter KATHERINE from stage right. Her hair looks wild, and she is glaring. She stands center stage, takes a few threatening steps toward the front row, and scowls.

      ALL onstage yell in terror.

      KATHERINE moves toward BAPTISTA, BIANCA, TRANIO, and BIONDELLO.

      HORTENSIO makes his way toward the crowd, staring at BIANCA.

      LUCENTIO eyes HORTENSIO suspiciously as he notices that HORTENSIO desires BIANCA.

      BAPTISTA (to GREMIO and HORTENSIO)

      Gentlemen, I firmly am resolved

      not to bestow my youngest daughter

      Before I have a husband for the elder.

      If either of you both love Katherine

      ALL back away one step and yell in fear.

      Leave shall you have to court her at your pleasure.

      GREMIO (slowly backing away)

      She’s too rough for me.

      KATHERINE (to BAPTISTA)

      Is it your will

      To make a stale of me amongst these mates?

       HORTENSIO

      No mates for you,

      Unless you were of gentler, milder mold.

      KATHERINE (to HORTENSIO)

      Her care should be

      To comb your noddle with a three-legged stool.

      KATHERINE grabs GREMIO’S cane and threatens to hit HORTENSIO with it.

      GREMIO almost falls down. He grabs onto HORTENSIO to keep himself upright.

      GREMIO and HORTENSIO both back away from KATHERINE.

       HORTENSIO

      From all such devils, good Lord, deliver us!