Thurs, Fri, Sat - June 26, 27, 28 at 8 p.m.

Warehouse Theatre, 37 Augusta St., Greenville

Review by George Kanzler

            Forget about the supposed “sexist, anti-feminist” speech of fealty to a husband by the title character that climaxes this play. By the time it comes, and in the way it is delivered, it reflects and enhances the spirit of farcical comedy that we’ve been seeing for over two hours. Director Jayce Tromsness realizes “The Taming of the Shrew” is one of Shakespeare’s most outrightly and hilariously funny plays, and his production milks it for laughs. He also hedges his bets on the “anti-feminist” issue by using the rarely performed prolugue and epilogue of the play, a framing device that makes it a play within a play about a drunkard deceived into believing he’s a nobleman seeing a play, and so enthralled by the play he jumps in to play the hero. (Cole Porter ran with the same concept of play within a play with “Kiss Me Kate,” his musical about a company doing “Shrew.”)

            Using a large cast that seems to include students as well as “associate artists” from the Distracted Globe Theatre Company, Tromsness mounts a 3-ring circus presentation replete with pantomime clowns doing commedia dell’arte style entr’acte interludes. And he fully illuminates the secondary and subplots, filling them with rich comic details, like the false Vincentio constantly checking his lines and character’s names on a crib sheet. The play is a farce and it’s played that way - over-the-top - which keeps the laughs rolling along. Lauren Dykes as Baptista’s younger daughter, Bianca, vamps it up as a spoiled vixen who is not as innocent as her father would believe. Rhydwyn Davies has a ball with Tranio, the comic servant posing as his master Lucentio, one of Bianca’s suitors. And Andy Croston is a study in heroic consternation as Grumio, Petruchio’s poor, put-upon servant.