Lucky 20 Productions is comprised of Samantha McDermott and Jerian Franco who present the very clever and inventive 'The Flaming of the Shrew'. Lucky 20 Productions is a new theatre company dedicated to reinventing Elizabethan works with a modern day twist. A percentage of every ticket sold goes to charity. Words fail to express my enthusiasm for a burgeoning theatre company’s dedication to the creative arts for such a noble cause.
Shakespeare’s 'The Taming of the Shrew' contains many of the bard’s typical conventions found in his later comedies, but stands out for being less lighthearted. It is a controversial play that reveals how men can achieve their hearts desire through deceptive manipulation.
'Taming of the Shrew’s' worldview highlights chauvinistic entitlement of men over women, and the presumption of power held by men of high social class. In brief, the male characters disguise themselves, in order to win the devotion (and mastery) of two women, Bianca and Katherine. The discontented and fierce Kate becomes the object of desire to Petruchio, who eventually obtains his object.
'Flaming of the Shrew' retains the archetypes of Shakespeare’s characters and adds a twist. As its title suggests, the re-imagined characters in this version are gay. Some may argue that changing the gender and sexual orientation of the characters alters the misogynistic tones of Shakespeare’s original work.
As a lover of Shakespeare and all things gay, I must confess that mere suggestion of adapting Shrew in this way takes major cojones. I applaud Lucky 20 Productions for this effort.
Standouts include Tim McGrath as the shrewd and headstrong KD. McGrath displays a confident understanding of what his character says and perceives.
Damon Guerrasio as Hortensio is comfortable on stage, and a joy to watch. Scott Jones is convincing as the patriarchal Baptiste. Brian Anderson as Graham has some delightfully funny moments. Damien Dane has a strong drag presence and singing talent as Dion Bello. Tyler Mauro as Peter is young, cocky, and has an attractive presence. Expecting an all-male cast, I was pleasantly surprised by Cassandra Steinhauser, who stepped into the role of Tranio.
I wouldn’t be doing my job without throwing in some tough love, so here goes. The "flaming" concept suggests a bold intention, and The Betsy Stage is a very intimate space, but there are moments where the actors lack the courage of their convictions. At these times, it would have been nice to see some "sparks," but eventually the cast did manage to bring the show back up to temperature.
All things considered, the 'Flaming of the Shrew' is a refreshing reconsideration of one of Shakespeare’s earliest and controversial comedies.
Flaming of the Shrew runs through December 17 at The Betsey Stage, 1133 S. Huron Street in Denver, and a portion of all proceeds goes to Project Angel Heart.
