STAGE REVIEW : A Manic, Vaudevillian ‘Taming of Shrew’

It may not be common to find children enjoying Shakespeare-- hey, mom, why so many words? --but there they were, yammering about the fun of it during the intermission of the Huntington Beach Playhouse’s “The Taming of the Shrew.”

Director Darlene Hunter-Chaffee accomplishes this by turning the story of bold Petruchio’s taming of bumptious Kate into almost a vaudeville skit. The cast flexes the physical, making faces, doing double takes, stumbling into one another and sometimes yowling the verse.

Examples: When Hortensio is bonked on the head with his lute after meeting Kate, Phillip Smith does a bawling Elizabethan impersonation of Stan Laurel. And later, as he’s trying to teach Kate’s comely sister Bianca (Jill deFreitas) to play that lute, Smith has trouble with “P” words, literally spitting them over the poor girl.

Ouch. The audience at a recent performance--parents as well as their children--appeared to like the shenanigans, but it all comes with a big price. “Shrew,” of course, is more sophisticated than that, steeping with pun-filled language and allusions. But this production, because of its manic shade, doesn’t always let us savor these qualities.

As for the cast, many of the minor players (and a few of the majors) seem to be doing impressions of Shakespearean actors instead of inhabiting the characters. You know, heavy on the syllables and cadences, gestural flourishes, that sort of thing.

Fortunately, Brenan Baird as Petruchio avoids falling into this trap. He’s capable and polished, giving the character a relaxed brio that paints him glib but not overly so. This Petruchio is a rogue worth liking, and you can see how Kate finally comes around to his way of thinking, although feminists will probably need more convincing.

As Kate, Debbie Grattan is really a terror at the start, going for overkill in every encounter. This Kate is so up-tight, it’s not too far a leap to assume she’s crazy. It’s a wonder that Petruchio has the patience to conquer her, even with the handsome dowry he’s been promised.

Grattan does give the role a certain dignity after the transformation to acquiescent wife is finished. This latter Kate is not so much whipped as serenely rational.

On the technical side, Rebecca Roberts’ costumes (all original designs), and Debbie Dennis and Sherry Bellevue’s sets are economical but nicely done.

‘THE TAMING OF THE SHREW’

A Huntington Beach Playhouse production of Shakespeare’s comedy. Directed by Darlene Hunter-Chaffee. With Brenan Baird, Debbie Grattan, Gil Johnson, Gerade Imhoff, Ted King, Joe Sackenheim, Phillip A. Smith, Kevin Knill, Jill deFreitas, Don Fenstermaker, John Losee, Rowland Kerr, Victoria Chaffee, Gino Martinelli, David Makela, Tony Grillo, George Hill, Lourdes Solis, Andy Roberts and Shanon Roberts. Sets by Debbie Dennis and Sherry Bellevue. Costumes by Rebecca Roberts. Lighting by Bob Ashby. Sound by Victoria Chaffee. Plays Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. at 21141 Strathmoor Lane, Huntington Beach. Tickets: $6 to $8. Information: (714) 832-1405.