Those attending the daytime guided tour program will receive two complimentary tickets to attend the full performance of The Taming of the Shrew that same evening at 7:30pm.

Aquila Theatre Company’s Guided Tour of The Taming of the Shrew serves not as a condensed version of the play, but rather as an educational performance meant to guide the student audience through the play’s key scenes. An actor hosts the tour by introducing the main characters and providing a narrative link between key scenes. These scenes are acted out in full costume, often with the full set and props used for an actual performance.

Set in the idyllic town of Padua, The Taming of the Shrew tells the story of the timeless battle of the sexes. Bianca Minola, the beautiful daughter of a lord, is eligible for marriage but cannot be courted until her elder sister, Katherina, finds a husband. Katherina’s quick temper and acerbic wit, however, frighten off every potential suitor. Feeling that they are running out of options, two suitors hire a newcomer named Petruchio to seduce and “tame” Katherina. After their exchanges of wisecracks and double entendres, Petruchio succeeds in dragging Katharina to the altar then away to his country home. Once there, the taming process begins, with both sides unwilling to yield.

From its earliest productions at the Globe to Michael Bogdanov’s 1978 production at the RSC to Gil Junger’s modern retelling, 10 Things I Hate About You, The Taming of the Shrew has adapted with each generation. The story, with its domestic power plays and controversial depiction of marriage, has been the subject of multiple operas and the backdrop for Cole Porter’s Tony Award winning musical Kiss Me Kate.

Aquila Theatre Company Website