Image provided by: Texas A&M University
About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 18, 1982)
Z.861 '81 'Acp»san\vL Sh re w iasop aqi ino siooq jnoA unj , d ± tamed in two worlds By Colette Hutchings Battalion Staff Shakespeare fans, unite. This month two renditions of the classic comedy "The Taming of the Shrew" will be presented — but don't expect them to be re peats of each other. One will be the traditional presentation of the play, and the other is a wild west version. Tonight the National Shakes peare Company will present the comedy — Shakespearean-style — at 8 p.m. in Rudder Theater. Teresa Chaing, advisor for the MSC Arts Committee, the orga nization sponsoring the play, said the company performed on campus about five or six years ago in a MSC OP AS presenta tion. "We're really excited about this," she said. The Shrew's plot revolves around a combination of tales: the competition between a trio of suitors for the hand of the fair maid Bianca; the dual of wits be tween Kate, a rambunctious shrew, and Petruchio, the brave man who is determined to make her a docile lover and wife (and get a share of her money.) Petruchio's rough and hila rious treatment of Katherine in the name of love is the major plotline. The National Shakespeare Company is touring through Texas and making a stop-over in College Station for this one- night performance. As Teresa Chaing said: "We just got lucky." The second presentation of "Shrew" is by StageCenter, a local theater group. Stagecenter's version takes the characters to the American West. Instead of lavish Eli- zabethian sets and costumes and thick English accents, the cast will speak with western twangs and the men will wear Levi's while courting their fair maidens. Dr. Ellen Dowling, English professor at Texas A&M and di rector of the play, said, "I sus pect it will be very, very diffe rent from the National Shakes peare production." Different indeed. Dowling likened Shakespeare's Kate to: "an Annie Oakly who's aim is worse than her arrogance." Dowling says Kate's wife taming husband Petruchio is a mixture of Clint Eastwood (he's dressed in black) and Wild Bill Hickock. The rest of the characters are stereotyped in traditional Wild West roles such as saloon keep ers and morticians. Dowling says she is doing the play in this manner for practical purposes and for appeal. "I think it will appeal to the audience and it's easy to stage," she said. Dowling said with the small theater, audience interaction and accents, the western por trayal will be geared to Bryan- College Station residents. The cast for the play includes University professors, students and local citizens. Dowling says she plans to play up slapstick in the play. "Our motto is 'if it gets a laugh we'll keep it,"' she said. "We want the audience to leave feel ing as if they were just at a party." Dowling said she is dis- apointed the two Shakespeare productions will be presented so close together. "I think it hurts both companies," she said. As for StageCenter's unique presentation Dowling said: "I don't think Shakespeare would roll over in his grave." The play will be presented at the StageCenter theater on Villa Maria in Bryan Feb. 25 through 27 and March 4, 5 and 6. Tickets are $3 and are available at the door. Shakespeare's "The Taming of the Shakespeare Company, and in a Shrew" will be presented in its western setting by StageCenter, a original form by the National local theater group. OPAS presents Polish dancers Waltzes, polkas, folk and fes tival dances are on Monday night's program when the Mazowsze Polish Song and Dance Company comes to Rud der Auditorium. Made up of 115 dancers, sin gers and musicians, the Polish folk ensemble performances are Teriyaki Beef Combos Hawaiian Chicken Mahi Mahi Prime Rib Salad Bar Featuring the Great Alaskan Kins Crab Feast every Sun.-Tues. for 6.95 tliconV Ktff Open even/ evening at 5 p.m. 2500 Texas Ave., 693-5113. based on the traditions and cus toms of its homeland. The com pany is famous not only for energetic dancing, but also for its colorful traditional costumes. Other scheduled numbers in clude dances about matchmak ers, maidens and their loves, Christmas rituals and sheep her ders. Wedding festivities and carnival dances also will pre sented, along with folk bands and dances which represent almost all regions of Poland. The company takes its name from one such region—the cen tral area Mazowsze, the site of Warsaw, the country's capital. The ensemble was created in 1948, when a Polish musician and his actress wife, fascinated by melodies, rhythms, cos tumes and dances of their coun try, set up the company in an old country estate. After auditioning more than 5,000 applicants from various re gions and villages in Poland, the founders selected the first mem bers of the company, while at the same time choosing the most suitable and typical dances and songs from each region. No number was put into the ensemble's repertoire unless approved by the performers. Since the performers were close to their home regions, the founders thought it necessary for the dancers, singers and musicians to believe in their per formances. Tickets for Monday night's performance are $9, $7.25 and $5.75 for students; $10.25, $8.25 and $6.50 for non-students. The performance is at 8 p.m. WHAT: Mazowsze Polish Song and Dance Company WHEN: 8 p.m. Monday WHERE: Rudder Audi torium TICKETS: $9, $7.25 and $5.75 for students; $10.25, $8.25 and $6.50 for non students.