26th Annual Shakespeare by the Sea to Present TAMING OF THE SHREW in Carlin Park, 7/7-17

Social class structure, deception and romance are the themes in William Shakespeare's hallmark comedy The Taming of the Shrew, and the Palm Beach Shakespeare Festival is taking it to the Kentucky Derby during its annual summertime production during Shakespeare by the Sea XXVI. The run for the roses and Katherine's heart happens this year July 7 - 10 and 14 - 17. The free, outdoor professional theater experience, presented in partnership with Palm Beach County Parks and Recreation takes the Seabreeze Amphitheatre stage in Carlin Park, Jupiter. Audience members are invited to bring their beach chair, blanket, picnic basket or enjoy food truck concessions. The gates open at 6:30 pm with performances starting at 8 pm. A $5 donation is suggested.

Adapted and directed by Kentucky native and honorary "Colonel" Trent Stephens, The Taming of the Shrew is one of Shakespeare's earliest comedies. Written nearly a decade before Much Ado About Nothing, the play features early devices used by the Bard which reveal the brilliance of Shakespeare's ability to portray layered character studies while also examining the challenges of century-long debates on social hierarchy, women's places in society and how basic human desires supersede all.

The play opens with a group of suiters vying for the hand of the fair Bianca. Unfortunately, Bianca's father will not allow her to wed until the older sister, Katherine, is married. Katherine however is an outspoken and witty woman who refuses to be treated as a trophy for any man. Enter Petruchio, a man in need of marrying a fortune. Bianca's suiters convince him to wed Katherine, who comes with a fortune and a bad reputation as a shrew. Undaunted, Petruchio agrees to woo and to wed Katherine, despite her unwillingness. What follows is a battle of wits with both Petruchio and Katherine showing themselves to be equal matches to each other, and therefore, a perfect match together.

The underlying themes of The Taming of the Shrew, still relevant today, make the Festival's decision to stage it during the Kentucky Derby particularly appealing for the creative team.

"The Kentucky Derby is a long-standing traditional event that is perceived as a genteel pastime for the more elite social class," says Shakespeare Festival founder and Executive Producer Kermit Christman. "The hats, gloves, suits and apparel are all affectations used during the Derby event, much like the many disguises used during Shrew by nearly all of the characters. Underneath it all however, the actual competition is a very earthy event, exactly like the pursuits in Shrew."

"As a Kentucky native, I was intrigued by the idea of setting the show during the Derby," says director Stephens. "Shakespeare himself uses words comparing Katherine to a horse in need of taming within the play, and that, coupled with his relevant themes of wealth and social status truly lend itself to our modern Kentucky Derby staging."

Joining Stephens again this year, following the hugely successful 25th Anniversary production of last year's Hamlet, is longtime Technical Director and Scenic Designer Daniel Gordon.

The Palm Beach Shakespeare Festival's Shakespeare by the Sea XXVI production of THE TAMING OF THE SHREW runs July 7 - 10 and 14 - 17 at the Seabreeze Amphitheater in Carlin Park, Jupiter located at 750 South S.R. A1A Jupiter, FL 33477.

Call the Palm Beach County Parks and Recreation Department Events Hotline at 561-966-7099 or visit www.pbshakespeare.org for more information. Shakespeare by the Sea XXVI, in partnership with Palm Beach County Parks & Recreation, is sponsored by The Hartman Foundation, Eissey Campus Theatre at Palm Beach State College, and Publix Supermarket Charities.

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