With a modern, progressive twist
William Shakespeare’s Taming of the Shrew is infamous for being one of the Bard’s most sexist plays. With the central plot revolving around Petruchio’s efforts to abuse Katharina into the role of “submissive wife,” it’s a tough show to pull off in 2025 in the Bay Area. But the Foodbank Players Director and Founder Gene Kahane made some significant changes to the script to mold the show into a better suited comedy for today.
The result is a fun, whimsical, absurdist romp through Padua, complete with a new character called Feminista–played with strength and clarity by Kayla McConnell–who addresses the misogyny of the original script. There’s even a p*ssy hat that sits atop Katharina’s head in the final scene of the play.
At the heart of the show are Serena Kohgadai as Katharina and Evan Mooney as Petruchio. Kohgadai’s shrew is fed up. She’s tired. She sees the strings that yank on the patriarchy’s puppets when others don’t. Mooney’s Petruchio is, dare I say, likeable—at least at first. He wins the audience over when he’s rolled around on a gondola (a dolly pushed by Jennifer Morrill as the blunt and humorous lackey Grumio) paddled by a big red stick. And then he fully loses us around the time he starts to starve his new wife.
The love story between Bianca (Mary Watson) and Lucentio (Justin Nilsen) is a sweet and silly one, filled with disguises and interferences from the comedically eager Don Martin as Gremio and Luis Araquistain as Hortensio. Araquistain’s physical comedy is a treat to behold throughout the show, particularly his R-rated trumpet work and cartoonish old-timey gangster walk. Also involved in the pursuit of Bianca, as an assist to Lucentio, is Tranio, played with a larger-than-life Italian accent, comical facial expressions, and perfectly-suited-for-the-venue volume by standout Caitlin Kenney.
Matriarch of the eligible bachelorettes is Baptista, played by Sally Geary. Her perfectly timed rendition of “La Donna e Mobile” is a particular highlight. Rounding out the cast are Kate Rockwell as the fabulous tailor, David Weiner as the dapper Vincentio, and Kari Warfield as the sexy widow who makes all of Hortensio’s dreams come true. Bill Brobeck as Curtis, Kristina Morales as Nathaniel, Joy Morrill as Joseph, Frida Schiesser as Nicholas, and Konstantin Stern as Philip all add to the comedy with some serious kazoo playing skills and fake food choreography.
The Healing Garden is set up in a traverse stage configuration, with the seated audience facing each other while the action takes place in the middle of the space. The Foodbank Players crew, including stage manager extraordinaire Yela Rivera, generously puts out umbrellas to keep the audience shaded on these warm June weekends.
The set includes a backdrop of an Italian scene—dark wood shutters above dark wood doors, a mini-balcony, and planter boxes exploding with pink flower fireworks. There’s a fountain in the middle for characters to drink out of and splash their faces. On the other side of the alley is a marked-up truck with a surfboard leaning against it and a spit-bucket punctuating the hood.
The costumes are bright, like Italian candy for the eyes—stripes, florals, clashing athleticwear, electric blue wigs worn by Geary and Watson (of course the matriarch and her favorite daughter dress alike and get their hair done the same way).
Without giving away all the fun and sparkly pink surprises Kahane provides the audience along the way, the show ends with the cast singing Helen Reddy’s “I Am Woman,” following an amended speech from Katharina, formerly about her awakening as an obedient wife, now citing the likes of Susan B. Anthony, Malala, and R.B.G., all “shrews” in their own right.
“You can bend, but never break me/ ‘Cause it only serves to make me/ More determined to achieve my final goal/ And I come back even stronger/ Not a novice any longer/ ‘Cause you’ve deepened the conviction in my soul.”
As is the case with all Foodbank Players shows, after the cast takes its final bow, they walk among the audience, orange buckets outstretched, soliciting donations for the Alameda Food Bank—100% of the donations received go straight to the local nonprofit.
In a recent interview, Kahane had this to say about the theater’s collection efforts: “With all the political issues and cutbacks happening, the Alameda Food Bank is subject to that and they’re seeing both increased need for food in Alameda and a decrease of funding. So our job is more important than ever.”
Taming of the Shrew plays in the Healing Garden, 1435 Webster Street, for two more weekends: June 21, 22, 28, and 29 at 2 pm.
Kelsey Goeres is the Managing Editor of the Alameda Post. Contact her via [email protected]. Her writing is collected at AlamedaPost.com/Kelsey-Goeres.
