Skip to main content
Intellect

BYU's "Taming of the Shrew" portrays a pampered Kate

The Department of Theatre and Media Arts will present William Shakespeare's romantic comedy "Taming of the Shrew" Nov. 10-20 and Nov. 30-Dec. 4 in the Pardoe Theatre.

Tickets are $12 and $3 off with student ID. For tickets, call the Fine Arts Ticket Office at (801) 378-4322 or visit performances.byu.edu.

Shows start at 7:30 every night with a matinee on Saturday, Dec. 4, at 2 p.m. Preview nights are Nov. 10-11.

Directed by Barta Lee Heiner, Shakespeare's battle of the sexes features sparring wit and extreme physicality between the main characters of the play. The battle of the sexes begins when Petruccio "come[s] to wive it wealthily [and] happily in Padua" and he agrees to marry the shrew, Katherine.

"The Taming of the Shrew" is one of the most popular plays by Shakespeare; thus, it has been interpreted and performed with many different meanings. The most prevalent interpretation is that Katherine had a rough childhood and is sold to Petruccio who abuses and demands her submission, Heiner said.

"With this production, we propose the premise that Kate has not been neglected, but has been coddled and catered to as a child. She has had no necessity to be kind or courteous to others; she has had everything she has ever needed ... except parameters of benevolence. Petruccio is indeed, looking for a rich wife to insure the vitality of the depleted estate his father bequeathed to him. However, in meeting Kate, he discovers, not only a "chemical attraction," but an equal in wit and vitality," Heiner said. He helps her see how selfishly she behaves, thus invoking a change in her attitudes and behavior.

The cast includes Joshua Long as Lucentio, Keith McKay-Evans as Tranio, Paul Walstad as Baptista, Jason R. Purdie as Gremio, Austin Cameron as Hortensio, Nicole Elizabeth Richards as Katherine, Laura Angela Pratt as Bianca, Zach Archuleta as Biondello, Slate Holmgren as Petruccio and Timothy Hall as Grumio.

The production team includes Barta Lee Heiner as director, composer, music director, conductor and choreographer; Marel Edvalson as dramaturg; Emily Combe as production stage manager; Eric Fielding as scenic designer; Janet Swenson as costume designer; Erin Bjorn as lighting designer; Nathan Webster as sound designer; and Sarah Lock as makeup and hair designer.

For more information contact Barta Lee Heiner at (801) 422-4631.

Writer: Rebekah Hanson

Related Articles

data-content-type="article"

Impossible Burgers at a summer BBQ? Impossible! Why plant-based alternatives are still just beyond reach for most people

August 14, 2025
Plant-Based Alternatives (PBAs) — such as the Impossible Burger — are becoming more common, and those who try them say they are actually quite good. And while companies are pouring billions into making PBAs taste just like their meat counterparts, they still aren’t catching on. So what’s the hold-up?
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage= overrideTextColor= promoTextAlignment= overrideCardHideSection=false overrideCardHideByline=false overrideCardHideDescription=false overridebuttonBgColor= overrideButtonText= promoTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"

Photographic memory: BYU boasts nation's top student photographer for third year in a row

August 05, 2025
One of BYU’s very own is the best student photographer in all the land. Information systems student Matthew Norton was just named the Student Photographer of the Year by the University Photographer’s Association of America.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage= overrideTextColor= promoTextAlignment= overrideCardHideSection=false overrideCardHideByline=false overrideCardHideDescription=false overridebuttonBgColor= overrideButtonText= promoTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"

Forum: Faith and flourishing in your life and work

July 29, 2025
Paul Lambert, the religion initiative director at the Wheatley Institute, shared in a BYU forum address how faith in Jesus Christ is more than just a personal foundation. It’s also a powerful force for good in the world around us.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage= overrideTextColor= promoTextAlignment= overrideCardHideSection=false overrideCardHideByline=false overrideCardHideDescription=false overridebuttonBgColor= overrideButtonText= promoTextAlignment=
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage= overrideTextColor= promoTextAlignment= overrideCardHideSection=false overrideCardHideByline=false overrideCardHideDescription=false overridebuttonBgColor= overrideButtonText=