Page 194 - Demo

Page 6 PHOENIX March 14,1974The Young Vic's Taming of the Shre'Misogyny is the MessageBY CORRINE COLEMANWhittled down in our time toborscht belt %u201cMy Wife%u201d jokes andGeritol ads, the comic play with%u201cthe woman as man%u2019s chattel%u201dtheme winds back through thecenturies to ancient Greece andRome passing such as Dickens,Swift and Milton along the way.Walter Map%u2019s famous earlymedieval %u201c Dissasuasio%u201d whichstronly influenced Chaucer andothers following, includes the line,%u201c0 friend, a man%u2019s highestreproach is a disobedient wife.Beware!%u201dLike a run on male apologia(which pushes the fantasy offemale desire for compliance-likepatient Griselde) the boastful taleof conquest of the superficiallybalking woman has been picked offthe precis block by misognists andsupposed woman lovers alike.Shakespeare seems to havegathered up his version, (which iscurrently being presented at theBrooklyn Academy of Music byBritain%u2019s three and one half yearold %u201cYoung Vic,%u201d) from %u201cTheTaming of a Shrew%u201d a play by anunknown author which was but oneof a slew of \popular during the late 1500%u2019s. AnElizabethan poem, \1 icste of a Shrewd and Curst Wife.%u201dfilmexpoAnimation SeriesNew American AnimationMar. 13: p foat.in- . %u25a0 t i * .mi%u2022n.n *ti in* i iivn i* ! . %u00ab%u2022 P\\ v, A mnt u ]') nn.itor$ find film m akersGulliver's TravelsM a r. 14: %u25a0 : * %u25a0':* M a x I , . ..classic.. \\vt\\\\ ct*.The Best of PopeyeMar. 15: a p io a ra n .n. lutiina lhaor i*)in ti %u\\'*' Smt i id Hit1 S%u00abnlor%u2019 \Nil u %u2022' %u25a0 *1 \Cartoons With An AccentM ar. 20: an m int c ,nn , seine lio n%u2019* award vvinm.- a %u2022%u2022 :h|*vlsC wpArjmantuI AnimationMar. 21: '*aa' n mil th%u00bb* bes* O*McMH.ii! Mel %u00abBetty Boop & Other DelightsMar. 22: Ms. Poop V.t: tired in. 1- evenma W n rh , 11 so no . n ins1 .isle Lai i f'agcjndv A 'vi and' ) t f HM sAll performances: 8 00 pmTickets: Gen, Adm. $1.00Brooklyn Academy of Musicv'i i rtitiytuie Ave. tikiyn . N.VTicket In fo 12121636-4100 Attended Parking Availableis thought to be another influenceof Shakespeare%u2019s %u201cTaming.%u201dFirst performed in 1594, theBard%u2019s %u201cShrew%u201d plays well thesefour centuries later when abrilliant, ebullient, kicky grouplike the %u201cYoung Vic%u201d, takes it on.However, as well it might, theCompany %u2014 the third in BAM%u2019scurrent British Theater Festival %u2014de-emphasizes the conversiongambit for as long as possible, andromps with the play%u2019s other comicpossibilities.The possibilities, directed byFrank Dunlop (the Young Vic%u2019smentor) includetheAmericanization (in a hip NYmanner) of the tinker ChristopherSly, the low-down dirty joking ofthe servant Biondell, the secondary line of Bianca%u2019s (Kate%u2019syounger sister) switch from giddyweakness to final strength, and thevarious identity turns betweenaristocrats and seconds in theeffort to win Bianca.The major theme in this ratherthin play must be gotten tohowever, despite the company%u2019sseeming ambivalence. And in theeffort to deal with the main line,Petrucio, the eventual conquerorfrom Verona who first pursuesKate for her fortune alone, appearsreluctant to undermine her cleverand cutting persona.In retrospect, this Petrucio%u2019searly looseness and charm %u2014 hislight and bright ways with Kate ofPadua %u2014 seem advance pleasagainst easy acceptance of hisBRITISH THE..IRE SEASONin association withB R O O K L Y N C O LLE G ENOW TH R U MARCH 31!The Taming of the Shrewb y W illia m S hakespeare March 26, 29. 30. 31Scapinoadapted from Moliere March 17. 19. 22. 23. 27. 30FrenchWithout Tearsby Terence Rattigan March 15. 16, 20. 21. 24. 28Tickets Scapmo, FrenchWithout Tears (Lepercq Space) All Perf: 6.50 & 4.50Taming of the Shrew (Opera Housel Sat. Eve $ 7.50,6.50.5.0 0 ,3.50 Other Perfs $ 6.50,5.50.4 .5 0,3.50B ro o k ly n Academ y o f M usic.10 I jtjy e tte Ave , Brooklyn. N V 11217 SINGLE TICKETS (?1?> 636 4100 GROUPS 121?) 796 3074 T iik eit <*i RAW Box Office A&S. Bloommqdilet & Tickeuon M,i.i Ou1en to BAM Bo* Offtce Mj*e checks payable to BAMIE otiose stamped, seii addressed envelope A Trended ParkingBR ITISH C A LE D O N IA N AIRW AYS%u25a0 Mt %u201e i.ii Can ip%u2019Jane Lapotaire as Katerina and Jim Dale as Petruchio in the Young Vic Company presentation of %u201c Taming of the Shrew%u201d by William Shakespeare, now being presented in repertory at the Brooklyn Academy of Music through March 31 as part of BAM%u2019s British Theater Season.Recent Paintings March 16-28JO E L L E N B A R D91 Atlantic Ave Brooklyn G ALLER Y 91The Woodward School321 Clinton Avenue Brooklyn, N.Y. 11205Telephone 638-2830Coeducational,fully integrated, educationallyinnovative, enriched urogram sNursery through G rad e 8Call for brochure or appointmentehIKSOIV K/1MIY NI3QRIM YESTERD1YDirected byBILL HOOPER26 Willow Place%u2022 9 m_9un H E I G H T SP L A Y E R S Res 237-2752Mthefl Op***1 SundayC iir - 't' Mc%u00bb* Ilater nasty business.And indeed the second act machostuff %u2014 Petrucio%u2019s tantrums,screamings and stampings %u2014 hisbed of nails tactics meant to cut thespirit of his newlywed Kate, seemto come out of left field %u2014 not alikely development of the Petrucioas introduced to us by Jim Dale,British TV star and Young Vic%u2019sshining light.So, when the finally demolished(or rejuvenated as some would stillhave it) Kate declares in the stockshrew play sermon %u2014 %u201cThyhusband is thy lord, thy life, thykeeper, Thy head, thysovereign...%u201d and end with theadmonition to %u201cplace your handsbelow your husband%u2019s foot. In tokenof which duty, if he please, myhand is ready, may it do himease,%u201d it is hard to be serious aboutthe abject subjugation (whichsupposedly was lightened byShakespeare from the original%u2019sBiblical justification for woman%u2019slowly state).But many women in the audience(some men too) were angry %u2014questioning the need to put on thisplay during this time of women%u2019sstruggle. I don%u2019t know. The play%u2019sother aspects are kicky, bawdyfun, and are presented by theYoung Vic with a good sense itseems, of Shakespeare%u2019s time. Andas far as the Bard%u2019s misogny isconcerned %u2014 let it all hang out %u2014exposure is all!Along with Jim Dale as a partially sensitive Petruchio, othergreats included Paul Brooke as abeautifully vulgar Biondello,Denise Coffey as a frumpishBianco turned shrewd, andRichard Gere as the off-Broadwaytinker. Jane Lapotaire%u2019s Kate goesthrough too many changes a bit tooeasily %u2014 but is at her best as thefast talking early Kate.Asst. DA onConsumerFraudStephen Taub, AssistantBrooklyn District Attorney incharge of Consumer Frauds andEconomic Crimes Bureau, told the52nd A.D. Republican Club thatover six billion dollars was takenillegally from the public throughschemes and frauds last year.Taub spoke at the Feb. 21meeting of the club at its locationat 91 Court St. and %u201cprovided someexcellent insight into commonschemes and frauds,%u201d said SusanHorowitz. Taub%u2019s office is part ofBrooklyn District Attorney EugeneGold%u2019s operation.Taub also distributed a fact sheetcontaining 21 items that offer tipsto the consumer about commonfraudulent practices. Questionsfrom the audience concernedproblems of fraud that some peoplehave encountered. He told theaudience to beware of %u201cget-richquick%u201d schemes %u201csomething thateven former Queens D. A. ThomasMackell fell prey to.%u201d He alsoexplained to the audience wherethe public can get help if you havebeen %u201ctaken%u201d. The Better BusinessBureau, The New York CityConsumers Affairs Departmentand The Small Claims Court aretnree places, in addition to ivir.Taub%u2019s Office, that offers legal helpto the consumer.At the next meeting on March 21at 8 p.m. set for 91 Court Street,Jules Nussbaum will lead adiscussion and offer advice oncommon tax problems. Refreshments will be provided along withhelpful advice. David Edelman isthp President of the 52nd A. D.Republican Club and he invites thepublic to attend.