Discussion Questions,
1. Many critics of this particular play accuse the play (and Shakespeare himself) of being "sexist". Why do you think that is? Is the play simply a reflection of the attitudes of the society in which it was written?
2. The beginning of the play (and the final scene with the "police officer" are contemporized versions of material that Shakespeare actually wrote to "frame" the play as a dream sequence or a play-within-a-play. This material is often cut from contemporary productions, and the play is presented as just the main story of Kate and Petruchio. What might have been Shakespeare's intention in "framing" the play this way? What do
3. you think Charles McMahon, who directed the Lantern production, intended by leaving the frame in and updating it?
4. Did the doubling (having actors play multiple roles) cause any confusion?
5. Did the actors deliver the language consistently in a way that was easy to understand?