Cleveland Shakespeare Festival Opens Its 20th Season With ‘The Taming of the Shrew’

Fri 6/16-Sun 7/2 @ 7PM

The Cleveland Shakespeare Festival, which presents free, outdoor performances of plays by Shakespeare, adapted to fit into the period between 7pm and dusk, opens its 20th season with a well-known favorite, the bawdy comedy The Taming of the Shrew.

Those who by some chance don’t know the play may know the musical Kiss Me, Kate, and the story of the suitor Petruchio who wins the hand of the headstrong Katherina by “taming” her. Yes, it’s a hard play to stage for contemporary audiences but still a staple of the Shakespeare repertoire.

“The text of The Taming of the Shrew opens with a rarely-performed introduction that sets up the play as a joke made at the expense of a drunken tavern patron,” CSF tells us. “In our version, the Cleveland chapter of the fictional ‘Ladies of Good Will’ are staging their annual charity fundraiser, and this year’s production is The Taming of the Shrew.  The pre-show raffle and bake sale transitions into Shakespeare’s text as the ladies (and a few of their husbands) take their roles and begin.”

As is their tradition, the ensemble performs at venues all over town. This weekend, they’ll be at Coventry Village’s P.E.A.C.E. Playground on Friday, Notre Dame College in South Euclid on Saturday and Bedford Public Square on Sunday. Upcoming venues include the East Cleveland Salvation Army, Public Square and the Garfield National Historic Site in Mentor, among others. Find a full schedule at their website.

The second production of the season, Macbeth, debuts on Fri 7/21.

cleveshakes

Cleveland Heights, OH 44106

South Euclid, OH 44121

Bedford, OH 44146

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