Shakespeare's Taming of the Shrew Comes to AACC

See the classic battle between the sexes when the National Players bring William Shakespeare’s popular comedy, "The Taming of the Shrew" to Anne Arundel Community College this fall.

Curtain time is 7:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 30, in the Pascal Center for Performing Arts on the Arnold campus, 101 College Parkway. The AACC Cultural Events committee is sponsoring the presentation. Tickets go on sale Sept. 19 and cost $8 general admission, $7 seniors and AACC employees and $6 AACC students.

Petruchio and Katherine’s matching of wits is the play’s central element. But first Shakespeare has to set up the tale. Lucentio wants to marry Katherine’s younger sister, Bianca, but the women’s wealthy father will not hear of marriage for his younger daughter until his older one is wed. Katherine, nicknamed Kate, does not like society’s idea of a quiet, submissive wife, is considered by the town to be somewhat ill-tempered and has no suitors. Lucentio and Bianca fear they will never be able to marry when Petruchio, a newcomer to the community, agrees to wed Kate for her money. Much to Kate’s dismay, her father agrees to the match.

Because so many of Shakespeare’s characters possess traits that transcend time, his plays do not need to be set in Elizabethan times. The National Players have placed this production of "The Taming of the Shrew" in the late 1950s, early 1960s when women were just beginning to break out of the traditional June Cleaver-style housewife role.

The National Players visit AACC each fall. An outreach program of Olney Theatre Center, the National Players is touring for a 57th season, drawing its members from graduating classes of the country’s top college and university theater programs.

Call 410-777-2457 to reserve a seat. Let the box office know if someone in your group needs special accommodations or call disability support services, 410-777-2307 or Maryland Relay 711, 72 hours in advance to arrange special accommodations.

For other information, visit www.aacc.edu/events.