Commonwealth Classic
Theatre Company

THE FIREWORKS CONTINUE AFTER THE 4TH OF JULY WHEN CCTC BRINGS SHAKESPEARE’S THE TAMING OF THE SHREW TO THE PARKS.

DIRECTED BY DAMON BONETTI, THE TAMING OF THE SHREW WILL FEATURE REAL-LIFE NEWLYWEDS, TRICE BALDWIN AND JOSHUA L. BROWNS AS KATE AND PETRUCHIO.

Media, PA (June 17, 2008) – Commonwealth ClassicTheatre Company is proud to announce that their fourthsummer of Free Theatre in the Parks will feature a production of William Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew with newlyweds playing the leading roles. The romantic comedy, directed by Damon Bonetti, will offer free performances in outdoor public spaces throughout the 5-County area of Philadelphia from July 10th through July30th.

The production is set in the 1950’s, a decade before the sexual revolution, maintaining the integrity of this sometimes controversial but always hysterical “battle of the sexes” as written by William Shakespeare over 400 years ago. The play featuresTrice Baldwin as Katherine “the shrew” whose sweet and dutiful sister Bianca is not allowed to wed until her older sister is married. Bianca’s many suitors team up to find Kate a husband while plotting their own way to Bianca’s hand. Petruchio, played by Baldwin’s real life husband Joshua L. Browns, arrives in town and takes on the challenge to ‘tame’ the fiery Kate and the fireworks begin.

The Taming of the Shrew will be a reunion for many CCTC company artists from our 2006 Free Theatre in the Parks program with accomplished theatre artist, Damon Bonetti, CCTC’s Benedick in 2006’s Much Ado About Nothing, taking on the role of director this summer. Bonetti says, “The Taming of the Shrew is one of Shakespeare’s most popular plays. In the past year there have been five productions in this area alone. I’ve been involved in two of them! Despite its popularity many critics consider The Taming of the Shrew a ‘problem play’ because of its treatment - the ‘taming,’- of Kate. I believe this play is about two people who don’t fit into their society and come to realize that there is no one in the world more perfect for them than each other…their verbal and physical sparring mask their undeniable attraction and love at first sight.”

Producing Artistic Director, Mary Ann Baldwin agrees. “While there is contemporary unease in Kate’s treatment by Petruchio in the play, I refuse to believe that the man who wrote such wonderful women including Beatrice, Portia, Viola and Rosalind, would want us to think that the ‘taming’ of Kate stands for his real feelings on the role of women in society. Could it be that he meant the ‘taming’ in the title to refer to the taming of the heart? If so, then the ‘taming’ is mutual and exclusive to Kate and Petruchio. Call me romantic but I believe this play to be about trust, true understanding and love between two rebel souls.”

“In the end,” says Bonetti, “after all the hi-jinks, this play is a celebration of the compromises of marriage and, as Harold Bloom has called the play, “the mutual triumph of Kate and Petruchio, who rather clearly are going to be the happiest married couple in Shakespeare.”

Performance Schedule

Thursday, July 10th - 7:00pm - Lansdowne - 20th Century Club Lawn
Delaware County

Friday, July 11th - 7:00pm - Everhart Park
West Chester, PA. Chester County

Saturday, July 12th - 6:30pm - Schuylkill Center for Environmental Education. Roxborough.  Philadelphia

Wednesday, July 16th - 6:30pm - Penns Landing
The Great Plaza hosted by The Tall Ship Gazela

Thursday, July 17th - 6:30pm - LOVE Park
Center City, Philadelphia County

Friday, July 18th - 7:00pm - Kennett Square Anson B. Nixon
Chester County

Saturday, July 19th - 6:30pm - West Goshen Community Amphitheatre, Chester County

Wednesday, July 23rd - 7:00pm - McMichael Park
East Falls - Philadelphia County
Postponed to Rain date (July 31st) due to Inclement Weather
                                                         
Thursday, July 24th - 7:30pm - Lansdale - White's Road Amphitheatre, Montgomery County

Friday, July 25th - 7:00pm - Brookhaven Municipal Building Lawn
Brookhaven.  Delaware County

Sunday, July 27th - 6:30pm - Northampton Park
Richboro. Bucks County

Tuesday, July 29th - 7:00pm - Pen Ambler Park
Lower Gwynedd. Montgomery County

Thursday, July 31st - 7:00pm -
RAIN DATE: McMichaels Park - Philadelphia County