Lily Narbonne, who plays Katherina in the upcoming Lanes Coven production of “The Taming of the Shrew.”
The long game involves waiting.
Lily Narbonne and Justin Genna, co-artistic directors of the Lanes Coven Theater Co., had decided on some Shakespeare—“The Taming of the Shrew”—for their summer 2020 season.
We all know how that worked out.
Narbonne and Genna had collaborated on Theresa Rebeck’s “Mauritius” in late 2019, and thought that some Shakespeare might be a suitable next project. It was—it just took more than a year to make it happen.
Lanes Coven Theater Co.—nine actors strong for this production, directed by Oliver Shirley—presents “Shrew” at two outdoor locations: the Lanesville Community Center in Gloucester, beginning Aug. 26; and at Beverly’s Hale House, opening Sept. 2. The Beverly performances are a co-production with the Cabot Cinema, part of a pandemic series of Porch Sessions at the Hale House.
“We wanted to do physical comedy, something highly energetic,” Narbonne says. “If you want to do outdoor Shakespeare, this play really fulfills that. It’s complicated, hilarious and horrifying all at the same time. That’s the way the world is now.”
“The hilarity of ‘Shrew’ comes from everyone trying to trick the person next to them,” Genna says. “It’s really a clown show at its core, but underneath there’s the patriarchy trying to silence women’s voices.”
That’s the horrifying part of “Shrew.” Much of the plot rests on men trying to prove that they can “tame” headstrong women. For both Narbonne and Genna, it’s an acting challenge they are willing to accept.
“Too many people make this play into something that’s not misogynistic,” Genna says. “I question doing that. I like to approach it as a play that’s perfect as written.
“Lots of people call this a comedy, and Shakespeare puts it with his histories,” he says. “I call it a problem play.”
“We are trying to lean into it,” Narbonne says. “If you put it onstage, it’s effective.”
At the core of the action in “Shrew,” the noble Petruchio wagers with others that he can make his “headstrong” wife Katherina (Kate) obey him. Subplots involve the wooing of Kate’s younger sister, and a series of “obedience tests” that wives must face. None of the plot summarizes gracefully—making the issues both troubling to confront, but rich for stage interpretation.
Lanes Coven co-artistic director Justin Genna: “Too many people make this play into something that’s not misogynistic.”
“I play the angry lord in the first scene,” Narbonne says, “and then I play Kate too. It is so cool to set up a power dynamic like that.
“Kate is just looking at relationships,” she says. “Every relationship has its own private language, how they manage things.
“Of course Kate and Petruchio are in an abusive relationship,” Narbonne says, “and he abusively ‘tames’ her. But they realize that they are better together—two raging fires—as angry people. As an actress, I want to step up and do the play.
“As written, it’s a challenge,” she says. “Any anger that comes up for me about the written words, I’m trying to put back into the acting.”
Both weekends of performances will be outdoors. Ticket-holders will receive alerts about weather postponements.
“We are hoping for Shakespeare outdoors every summer,” Narbonne says, speaking of Lanes Coven’s future plans. “It’s really a beautiful way to do Shakespeare. You strip away the need for a traditional set, and that makes it easier for the audience to listen to the poetry.”
Lanes Coven Theater Co. presents Shakespeare’s “The Taming of the Shrew” from Aug. 26–29 at Gloucester’s Lanesville Community Center, and from Sept. 2–5 at Hale House in Beverly. For tickets and information visit lanescoven.com.
Keith Powers covers music and the arts for Gannett New England, Leonore Overture and Opera News. Follow @PowersKeith; email to keithmichaelpowers@gmail.com.