Audition for Taming of the Shrew, Directed by a UHPer

This week, UHP student Rozzie Kopczynski begins a new adventure in her school career- directing a play for the GW Shakespeare Company. This Thursday and Friday, the company will be holding auditions in Ivory Tower from 7-9 pm for Taming of the Shrew, one of William Shakespeare’s many classic and oft-retold plays.
The play itself concerns Petruchio, a young man, who seeks to win the hand and heart of Katherine Minola, who is known for being difficult and “shrewish”. Meanwhile, her younger sister Bianca is courted by throngs of men waiting for the chance to woo her. Characters use disguises, switched identities, and many other often-questionable strategies to achieve their goals.
Ms. Kopczynski’s vision for the play is “the feminist interpretation”. Set in a 1950s diner, the strict gender roles and societal expectations of the time period provide a topical background to the events of the play. Katherina is talked down to and insulted because she refuses to submit to the expectation of an arranged marriage chosen by her father, while Bianca, her quieter sister, is seen as docile and obedient because she doesn’t verbally object to her many suitors. But first impressions are not always correct, and the characters are not always the face they portray.
Contact gwshakespeare@gmail.com for more information- and we hope to see you on Thursday or Friday!