…in the capable hands of director Tim Ocel, we're able to see the
relationship evolve in a way that somehow makes sense… an examination of how love can shape and bend you
without breaking you… Ocel keeps that action taut, and even a scene change late in Act II becomes an
opportunity to amuse the audience. If you've avoided The Taming of the
Shrew because of your discomfort with the idea of a strong-willed woman needing to be tamed,
APT's production might win you over. more...
Ocel did not remake the play along feminist lines; he did The Taming of the Shrew as we know it. But he, Arnold and Ridge found something
generous and progressive in it, and those qualities rises to the top to redeem a speech that is
self-negating… Everything that happens in this funny, lively production supports that reading of the
finale. more...
The Taming of the Shrew
American Players Theatre, 2011
…as he proved last summer in directing APT's stellar
"As You Like It," Tim Ocel is not your usual director, and he once more cuts against the
grain in directing "Shrew."… It is Petruchio who…liberates Kate and simultaneously frees
himself, having seen in the shrew he first meets what he too has become. With tender eyes and an
increasingly gentle demeanor, Ridge consistently conveys respect for a woman who does some taming here
of her own, ensuring that she leaves the stage at play's end as a partner rather than a prize.
more...