THE TAMING OF THE SHREW & THE TAMER TAMED Will Continue Portland Shakespeare Project's Season

Portland Shakespeare Project announces that its third season will include William Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew and John Fletcher's The Tamer Tamed (staged reading) running in rotating repertory, July 10 though August 4, 2013. Both shows will be performed on the Alder Stage at Artists Repertory Theatre. Tickets are on sale now at the Artists Rep Box Office. Plays run in rep Wednesday through Friday at 7:30pm, Saturday at 2pm and 7:30pm, Sunday at 2pm. Full schedule and more information at www.portlandshakes.org.

The Taming of the Shrew is one of Shakespeare's most beloved, romantic comedies. The Tamer Tamed was written as a sequel by his contemporary John Fletcher, who collaborated with Shakespeare on at least two of his plays, and who succeeded Shakespeare as the playwright for the King's Men. The Taming of the Shrew was adapted by Cole Porter for his famous musical, Kiss Me Kate, and is the basis for the film 10 Things I Hate About You.

The Taming of the Shrew (July 10-Aug 4) is Shakespeare's comedy about love, marriage, transformations, mistaken identities and awakenings. Artistic Director Michael Mendelson, who will direct the play, says: "I am excited to explore the lengths a person will go to transform somebody they love into the person they wish them to be. Do we gain a healthier and more fruitful relationship or do we lose the essence and spark of what ignited our passion and drew us to the person in the first place? There is no better journey than that of Kate and Petruchio to explore love and marriage in both a traditional sense and one for a modern sensibility. I can hardly wait to begin the journey."

The Tamer Tamed (July 24-Aug 4) continues Shakespeare's story of Petruchio and his problems with his second wife, Maria, that began in The Taming of the Shrew. "I am so excited to share this play in a staged reading with our audiences," said Associate Artistic Director Professor Michael Nehring, who is directing this staged reading. "It is not only an underappreciated gem of comic writing, but it is a surprisingly fresh response to Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew."

Nehring continues, "Imagine Petruchio re-married to Maria, a wife that argues for women's rights and for a taming of male dominance. She is smart, rational, and humorous and her radical views are catching on with her friends! None of Petruchio's tactics seem to be working! Critics have referred to the play as being 'proto-feminist,' which is fascinating because The Tamer Tamed was written by John Fletcher and was first published in 1647! Expect some terrific talk back sessions, scholarly presentations, and heated discussions as we examine these two plays in back-to-back Portland Shakespeare Project productions."

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