“Taming of the Shrew” Drama Review Essay

Introduction

The Taming of the Shrew is a comical romantic Shakespearean play which has an exceptional appealing liveliness expressed through its plot. It is a play which presents emotional romantic instances as well as courting among certain couples. In this paper, a story entitled Marriage in Hell is invented based on the Shakespearean play. The invented story is directed in a fashion that will project a glaring spectatorship. Effort is be made to create original scenes in directing the play through a conscious definition of time, props and set, costumes, sound, projection of images or video and an effective lightening effect.

Background of the Play

In Marriage in Hell, two young fresh university students, Tani-a 24 year old young man and Lamber- an eighteen year old lady meet in a school basketball pitch sitting side by side and watch a school match. After a bored day in class, Tani returns to room in the hostels, but the room is noisy as his roommates are chanting about a movie they watched last summer. Tani decides to dress up, put on a white T-shirt on jeans, and with a hat to protect himself from the sun, he head to a park which is close to his class. Sitting in the park, he can see some students playing basketball nearby. He is attracted at once. Sure, the ball will lighten his day, he thinks. So, he goes to the pitch and takes a seat all by himself. Now as his is getting engrossed watching the ball, a yong lady works and sits beside him. Suddenly, there is a wind and it blows off Tani’s hat into the arms of young lady. She grabs the hat, turns Tani with a smiling face and then she wears the hat on. Lamber, an extrovert, is quick to tell Tani her name. But at once, Tani is attracted by the beauty of Lamber; her appealing smile! At the same time, Tani, who is very shy in nature, for the first time in his life, begins to admire a girl. The admiration is sudden and strong. He is falling in love with Lamber, but can’t express his emotions openly. Lamber puts the hat on and soon, she is on her feet and is showing herself around, in a fashionable way. Soon, she is noticed around as she shows herself off. But Tani needs the hat back, it’s not his. It’s his dad’s, and apart, the sun is getting intense on him. Filled with fresh emotions of love and fear mixed together, he doesn’t know how to approach Lamber for the hat, now. Soon, things turn worse as the girl is joined by friends. The friends urge Lamber, and she ignores Tani and gets going, still wearing on the hat. Tani, too, is on his feets now follows her around like a snow-bug, only at a distance. Once, he stops, looking at the girl in the distance, he begins to imagine holding her to himself and kissing her deeply. Now, he is standing by a tree and staring at Lamber. Now his arms are around the tree. Now, his though is blank and his eyes are closed. He begins to imaging the tree for Lamber, as his eyes are shut. His lips begin to get closer and closer to the back of the tree. Soon, his lips are on the tree! Then he realizes he is caught up in a fallacy. He has just wedded a tree! He has just had a marriage in hell! Turning, Lamber is gone! Now, Tani looses himself from the tree and starts running in search of Lamber. In the way, he stops at every lady he sees and asks her if she is Lamber. It is not so much for the hat that he searches for the girl in a comic fashion now, but is search of a love found in the middle of boredom. Now, as he turns to look toward the tree where stood, there the girl is all by herself and watching him gracefully!

Planning for the Stage act

This indicates the actual first considerable thing for the play. Costs are taken of needed items, consideration of actors who would suite particular roles best is done, the kind of instruments and music to be used is determined. In the case of this play, basketball will be used for match attraction of actors. And then, very importantly, the place for rehearsals is upheld. At this stage, also, the costume, for the students is considered. The most likely costume to be used will be one that will agree with students’ evening choices; such as jeans and T-shirts.

Getting the Play Started

A stage is made to reflect a university environment with excited youth ambling or sitting at some places and discussing in groups. And then, there is a basket ball pitch where a number of students are playing. The need for this scene is to re-culture the spectators. The play will be shown in the evening in order to reflect a time when Tani, after a dull day in his lecture, has taken some time for relaxation. It is necessary to kickoff with the sound of a bouncing ball and chanting students in order to attract the attention of the audience. For a romantic and comic play like the one in consideration, Tordoff (28) suggests that the effect of light should be done to make the stage appear as natural as possible. But in this case, natural sun light will be preferred to minimize cost and then make the play as real as possible. This will give the spectators a sense of time and season when the event acted occurred as well as prepare the ‘ground’ for an absorbent emotional act. Producing good climatic effect and the likes are functional of the director’s guide. Again, it is relevant to consider cons and pros of the scene of performance. Other things to consider for the play are: Screen Casting; Rehearsal; and Blocking.

Conclusion

This paper presents an arrangement for directing a story entitled Marriage in Hell which is based on the Taming of the Shrew. Effective sound production, lighting, and good act characteristics, are maximally utilized for the benefit of good imaging.

Works Cited

Tordoff Bill. A Thirty Minute Taming of the Shrew. London: University Press, 2009. Print.