The Secret in the Wings at City College Theatre

In Padua, Italy, Lucentio loves Bianca but cannot marry her until her headstrong older sister Katherine gets married. The eccentric and cash-poor Petruchio agrees to marry Katherine, thus gaining access to her family’s money, but he uses a number of questionable, and some might say cruel, tactics to mold her into his idea of an obedient wife. Lucentio marries Bianca and, in a contest, Katherine proves to be the more submissive wife. Shrew is one of Shakespeare’s most controversial comedies. This production turns traditional casting on its head, as male-presenting actors play the women’s roles, and female-presenting actors play the male roles. No one’s sex or gender is disguised, and the pronouns remain as Shakespeare wrote them. This casting highlights the patriarchal tropes present in this problem play, shining a light on its misogynistic themes and pervasive gender inequalities. This production takes place in 1974, during the time the Women’s Movement was gaining steam.