Review: 'Taming of the Shrew' Performed at Clayton High School

Young actors shine discovering love in all its splendor and agony in ’s production of Shakespeare’s seminal comedy The Taming of the Shrew! A fresh and consistently fun production, each character is brought to life with big laughs and a big heart in tow. The students of CHS perform one of William Shakespeare’s greatest classics with ease and wit.

Written in the late 1500s, The Taming of the Shrew is a favorite among audiences across the world. A parody of society in that day and age, the play follows the lives of two sisters, more often than not stubborn Katherine, and their search (or lack of) for love. Many men have their eye on these two beautiful young maidens, but it’s the sheer determination and confidence in himself that gives suitor Petruchio the ability to reel in, and hopefully tame, Kate.

Ditsy Bianca finds love quickly, but it isn’t until the marriage of her elder sister that she is allowed to marry. Strewn through these two interweaving storylines are comedic characters whose mere physique can cause audiences to burst with laughter. It is one of Shakespeare’s easiest to digest classics, one of the many reasons productions of it are found worldwide. While it does owe much of its credit to its writing, consistently strong performances have kept this show a going. The young performers of Clayton do nothing to break that chain.

It’s not an easy job to carry a Shakespeare show, especially as a high schooler. However, the leads in this production do it with ease. Amanda Wagner plays the demanding role of Kate, one that causes you to be at once brave, emotional, hilarious, and physically able. It was phenomenal to watch her perform this role along with an added level of character development that she maintained all the way until the final black out.  Her romantic opposite, Pertuchio, was equally strong. While his character called for a strong level of confidence and humor, Fergus Inder shined in the role creating a near pitch-perfect performance.

Other supporting actors take hold of their smaller stage time and make the most of it. Be it the subtle humor of Sarah Lerwick as Bianca to the gestures and delivery by Shaina Crall as Biondello, these actors keep the joyful spirit of the show going. Other standouts include Lewis Grant with a convincing accent as the servant Grumio, one of the best high school performances as an old man that I’ve seen by James Kerr as Gremio, and Peter Grayson as the settling shy young man Hortensio. The whole cast certainly knows how to turn out a performance.

Of all the technical aspects of the show, the costumes were a highlight. Bright, colorful, and in correspondence with the spirit of the play, they were used to elevate the storytelling, rather than taking away. The lighting was simplistic but worked well for the show. The transitions were fast and no one found themselves fidgeting in between scenes. The set also used a less is more tactic, using only see through curtains to decorate the stage. More touches could have been used, but overall there were no mishaps because of their minimalistic ways.

The Taming of the Shrew is a great production. Everyone put their best foot forward. Of course there are times when actors slip out of character, but it was superior to many other high school productions I have seen, especially when it comes to Shakespeare.

An old fashioned good time, The Taming of the Shrew radiates with humor and joy when done this well.

Patch would like to thank Alex Bush of MICDS for sharing this St. Louis Cappies review.