The Taming of the Shrew

Schlub is a connie-sewer of the arts, and Saturday night went to the Shakespeare Theater's Free-for-All, an annual event where they stage a play for the Great Unwashed, free of charge. Previously, they held it in Rock Creek Park, which meant your bodkins and verily's were under mosquito and weather assault. This year, they held it in their brand spanking new Harman Hall, a nice venue replete with the most uncomfortable seats ever conceived by an ergonomics engineer. Guess they don't want you dozing off.

Anyhoo, it was Shrew, of which I wasn't the most familiar, my only exposure being that quite hilarious Richard Burton/Elizabeth Taylor movie which bears only a passing resemblance to the play. Started reading the play myself but went into a coma about the third or fourth "verily." So, wasn't expecting much, but Schlub must bow towards the tyranny of culture.

It was freakin' hysterical.

Schlub started out chuckling and was pretty much in full fledged belly laugh about five minutes into it. Shakespeare is the most dry of reading, except if you're a pretentious snob, and the only way to get full appreciation of the Master's Art is in production, and, my, what a production. All the actors were great, but Petruchio, played by Ian Merrill Peakes, was clear and above outstanding. Ah, hells bells, they all were outstanding, including Louis Butelli, who played Grumio, and Sabrina LaBeauf (yes! Sabrina LaBeauf, of Cosby and Dead Like Me!). Must give a shout-out and a well done to Aubrey Deeker as Hortensio, John Shuman as Gremio (yeah, I know, Shakespeare and his naming conventions), the gorgeous (and hilarious) Christina Pumariega as Bianca, and Drew Eshelman as the Pedant. Did I miss anybody?

Schlub ran into Peakes and Butelli in the Metro afterwards, and they were just as hilarious off-script.

So, good time had by Schlub and the Mrs, a much better time than at the perfectly awful Stacy Keach King Lear they put on last month or so. I could have gone the rest of my life without seeing Keach's bare bottom flapping around the stage.